As Ahnita read the letter, she pieced Khorshid’s story together.
On one evening Khoshid was at home in the kitchen making something to eat, trying to keep occupied with cooking. Time passed painfully slowly.
“God, why won’t time pass?” she muttered to herself.
She waited for Amir, the young man from the restaurant. For days she couldn’t sit still. His face, his last words, and his beautiful brown eyes were constantly on her mind. She missed his presence and wanted him beside her. Gosh, was she falling for him? Or perhaps becoming emotionally dependent on him? Goodness, he was a married man, but she could not help it.
During the last meeting, Amir had arranged for the next meeting to take place at Khorshid’s house so they could draw up a contract. In her mind, she kept reviewing everything that needed to be included in the agreement. Maybe this was a golden opportunity—one she had to make the most of. Perhaps she would finally escape from this difficult life.
At that thought, there was a gentle knock on the door. She paused for a moment, certain it could only be Amir. Then she opened the door. It was him. Khorshid let out a quiet sigh of relief and stepped aside to let him in. He smiled warmly and walked into the small cottage.
She had a tiny rented house with one small bedroom and a modest living room covered by a single six-meter carpet. The kitchen was an open plan, a tiny space with an old stove, a sink, and a worn-out refrigerator, and it led into the living room. The house itself was old and shabby, with a tiny courtyard barely two meters wide and a small outdoor toilet. Khorshid felt deeply embarrassed by her messy home. But Amir was so kind, polite, and dignified. He made her feel more at ease. She said an apology due to the mess.
“Why didn’t you call first?”
He laughed.
“I wanted to see just how much of a homemaker the mother of my child is.” He smiled.
“Well… I guess my reputation is ruined now,” she said.
Having a man in the house and a complete stranger made her feel shy and guilty.
“May I sit down, or are you planning to keep me standing all day?” Amir smiled.
She pointed toward an old wooden bench.
“Please, have a seat.”
He sat down. Khorshid was too embarrassed to look directly into his face.
“May I please have a glass of water? I’m terribly thirsty,” he said calmly.
“Of course.”
She went to get a glass of cold water from the refrigerator.
“You’re a beautiful woman.” he said as he took the glass.
She was blushing.
“Thank you.”
“I came tonight to talk about our plans. How we can solve my wife’s and my problem of childlessness. And, at the same time, help you get out of the difficult situation you’re living in,” he said after taking a sip of water.
He paused before continuing.
“If you agree, I’d like us to enter into a temporary contract marriage. I’m not putting you into a polygamous situation, but it’s a special arrangement that will not interfere with my actual marriage.”
Khorshid looked at him in surprise.
“A temporary marriage? But… nothing is supposed to happen between us. According to the doctor, I can carry your child…”
He remained silent for a moment before answering.
“I don’t have time to go through all the details.”
“You don’t have time? What do you mean? Does your wife agree to the contract marriage?” Khorshid asked.
He gently took Khorshid’s hands into his. Fear swept through her. Yet an awakening and a sense of warmth was inside her. Amir sensed her fear. He let go and stepped back. But somehow a sense of disappointment washed through her.
“I didn’t come here to hurt you,” he said softly. “Until you agree, nothing will happen between us.”
He looked into her eyes. Then sighed quietly and stood up.
“I’m leaving now,” he said and added, “The first thing we need to do is move you somewhere else. If the neighbors notice me coming here, they may cause trouble for you—or start making unfair judgments.”
He walked toward the door.
“Please pack your things tomorrow. Just bring your personal belongings. Wait for my call,” he said just before leaving. Then he left.
Khorshid took in a deep breath. Her whole body was hot. As though she were burning from within. She wandered around the tiny room, completely confused.
“What is life planning to do with me now?” she muttered while looking at the sky through the window.
“God… what’s going to happen to my life? Who is this man? Where did he suddenly come from?”
Her head throbbed painfully. She couldn’t think clearly anymore. Which face of life was destiny about to show her this time? With a heavy sigh, she said a small prayer. Then she sat on the floor. She surrendered everything to fate. She fell asleep. Then she woke up exhausted, without any strength to get out of bed.
She stayed in bed for two days without food. Eventually, hunger and weakness forced her to get up. She got up and felt vertigo. At that moment there was a knock on the door. With barely enough strength to walk, she thought perhaps it was Amir and staggered toward the entrance. Then everything went black…. When her eyes opened, she was in a hospital bed. Amir stood beside her. The doctor turned to him.
“Young man, take better care of your wife. Her blood pressure and blood sugar dropped dangerously low.” Amir glanced at Khorshid.
“I will, Doctor. From now on, I’ll take much better care of her,” he said. Then he winked at Khorshid.
She lowered her eyes from embarrassment. He leaned close.
“Come on, my lady. Let’s go to your new home,” he whispered.
Around two o’clock that afternoon, Khorshid was discharged from the hospital. A beautiful black car waited outside. It looked luxurious, though she didn’t know what model it was. Amir opened the door for her, like a true gentleman. She got inside, no questions asked. A man in his middle age was driving. His hair was greying. She gazed out the window. A pair of warm hands gently covered hers. They were Amir’s. Her heart skipped.
“I will not leave you alone. Not anymore,” he said…
