
ThepursuitofZuhal(40)startswithameow.AfteralongdayofhoursinthetrafficjamofIstanbul,teachingEnglishinacorporationandanuncomfortableflirtingwithoneofherstudents,Zuhalarriveshome.Afterspendingsometimealone,shestartshearingacat’smeowinherflat.Firstshepaysnoattention,butasthemeowcontinuesallnightshethinksthecatmightbestucknearby.Shelooksaround,butcan’tfindit.Nextday,eachtimeshepointsthepeopletothesound,thesoundstops.Thedoormancomfortsher,sayingit’sforbiddentohavepetsinthebuilding,herstudentsdon’tevenhearit,herneighborsfollowthedoorman’sargumentortreatherasa‘crazycat-lady’,kidsteaseherwith‘meows’fromthediaphone.Herreputationisatrisk,butworseisthatshestartsdoubtinghermentalhealth.Herpursuitendsasthedoormandiscoversthatthesoundcomesfromthewalloftheemptyflatonthefirstfloor.Locatingthecatwashard,convincingthestubbornlandownertobreakthewallseemsimpossible.Astheconversationturnsintoaviciouscircle,sherushestoadateforthefirsttimeinyears.Butshe’snotabletogetridofherthoughts,andwhenshetellsherdateaboutthecat,heproposestocomewithZuhaltoherflat.Astheyarrivehomenomeowisheardanymore.HeisquicktoforgetaboutitbutforZuhalthissilenceisunbearablenow.Ashefallsasleeponthecouch,Zuhaltiptoesholdingahammer,andbreaksintotheneighbouringbalcony.Policesirens,ferrysignals,birds,radionews.Asbatteringgoeson,acatmeows.