to be liked or admired
It was an ordinary evening for her, and she was alone in her room. The dim light filtering through the curtains wasn’t enough to brighten the darkness within her. On the desk lay dried flowers she had bought for herself, unfinished letters, and echoes of the past. The mark left by love lingered like a deep wound in her heart, both sustaining and consuming her.
The comforter on her bed felt like a burden she carried on her back. Even if she rose from that bed, she couldn’t leave it behind; it seemed to follow her everywhere she went. Unable to escape her own darkness, the weight of the comforter pressed down on her shoulders like a reflection of her soul. She stood before the mirror, staring at her own reflection. A stranger’s face… or was it the most familiar one?
Tears welled up in her eyes as she whispered to herself, “Do you want to be admired, or to be loved?” The question sent tremors through her soul before fading back into silence. Moving to the window, she let the breeze caress her hair as she inhaled the scent of a withered rose in her hand. She allowed the darkness to engulf her, for she realized that searching for light was futile. Beneath the heavy curtain of drama, she fell in love with her own sorrows. For sometimes, the greatest love is hidden in one’s own undoing.
Sandals by Toteme
Photographed by Sude Renda
Styled by Ant Süzer
Make up by Beliz Ar
Hair by Remzi Ateş
Gaffer Furkan Dağ
PhotoAssistants Sarp Gürkan, Cansu Şen
Styling Assistants Eren Çebi, Deniz
Production Birce Naz Köş, Yağmur Yıldız