without having the marriage officially registered. That might be customary in the countryside, where the bride and groom simply exchanged vows in the presence of a village imam, and then the man was granted access to the woman’s bed. In such a marriage the man was free to take other wives. But marriages of that sort no longer took place in the city and certainly not in the prominent circles to which Aqa Jaan’s family belonged.
‘Perhaps you left the documents at your father’s house,’ Aqa Jaan said to Khalkhal.
‘No, I don’t think so. They’re in Qom.’
Aqa Jaan sat down beside the mayor and they conferred briefly.
‘You’re right,’ the mayor concluded. ‘You shouldn’t go through with it.’
Then Aqa Jaan went over to Alsaberi, who had just emerged from the library and was standing by the cedar tree, next to the caretaker.
‘We’re going to have to postpone the wedding,’ Aqa Jaan said. ‘Khalkhal must go to Qom to get his identification papers.’
‘In that case he won’t be back until after midnight. It might be better for them to say their vows first. Then he can go to Qom and get his papers.’
‘No, because once they’ve exchanged vows, that’s that. Sadiq will belong to him and we’ll be powerless to help her. He’ll take her away, and we’ll be left with nothing. You of all people should know that.’
‘You’re right,’ Alsaberi replied. ‘Let him go and get his papers.’ And he went back into his library.
Aqa Jaan strode over to the registry clerk. ‘Without valid identification papers,’ he announced, ‘there will be no marriage!’
Everyone began talking at once.
Aqa Jaan turned to Khalkhal. ‘Don’t worry,’ he said calmly. ‘You can go to Qom to get your papers. I’ll wait. We’ll all wait.’
Khalkhal was taken aback. ‘But that’s impossible! There’s no train going to Qom at this hour. And I don’t trust the buses.’
‘I’ll arrange for transport,’ Aqa Jaan said. He went over to where the mayor was sitting and spoke with him. The mayor nodded several times in agreement.
‘It’s all set,’ Aqa Jaan told Khalkhal. ‘A jeep will pick you up shortly. The mayor’s chauffeur will drive you to Qom. I’m a patient man, but you’d better not take too much time.’
Khalkhal had been outmanoeuvred. He stood up and stalked angrily to the door to wait for the jeep. For a moment Aqa Jaan thought he saw a flash of pure malice in Khalkhal’s eyes, as if he had suddenly dropped his mask and revealed his true self.
A banquet had not been included in the wedding celebration, but Aqa Jaan felt obliged to feed his guests. ‘Please accept my apologies,’ he announced. ‘These things happen. I cordially invite you all to stay for dinner.’ Then he sent Shahbal to the restaurant opposite the mosque to arrange for food to be delivered.
Fakhri Sadat asked Aqa Jaan to come to her room so she could speak to him in private. ‘Don’t you think you were being a bit hard on the boy?’
‘Maybe I shouldn’t say this, but I don’t trust him.’
‘But you hardly know him.’
‘He’s no ordinary imam. He’s shrewd. I didn’t expect him to show up without identification papers. He has some scheme in mind, though I can’t imagine what.’
‘You men and your schemes! What on earth could he be up to?’
‘Well, what’s done is done. He’s on his way to Qom now. We’ll just have to be patient.’
‘That’s how it always is. Men make the decisions and women must be patient.’
‘That’s not true. I’m not about to give away a daughter of this house without a proper guarantee. I thought you’d understand.’
‘I do, but what should I say to the women?’ she said, avoiding his eyes.
‘You know what to say. Welcome them, give them something to eat and keep smiling. Show them you can rise above the occasion . . . and be patient.’
At ten-thirty there was still no sign of Khalkhal. The guests had finished eating hours ago. The servants
‘Perhaps you left the documents at your father’s house,’ Aqa Jaan said to Khalkhal.
‘No, I don’t think so. They’re in Qom.’
Aqa Jaan sat down beside the mayor and they conferred briefly.
‘You’re right,’ the mayor concluded. ‘You shouldn’t go through with it.’
Then Aqa Jaan went over to Alsaberi, who had just emerged from the library and was standing by the cedar tree, next to the caretaker.
‘We’re going to have to postpone the wedding,’ Aqa Jaan said. ‘Khalkhal must go to Qom to get his identification papers.’
‘In that case he won’t be back until after midnight. It might be better for them to say their vows first. Then he can go to Qom and get his papers.’
‘No, because once they’ve exchanged vows, that’s that. Sadiq will belong to him and we’ll be powerless to help her. He’ll take her away, and we’ll be left with nothing. You of all people should know that.’
‘You’re right,’ Alsaberi replied. ‘Let him go and get his papers.’ And he went back into his library.
Aqa Jaan strode over to the registry clerk. ‘Without valid identification papers,’ he announced, ‘there will be no marriage!’
Everyone began talking at once.
Aqa Jaan turned to Khalkhal. ‘Don’t worry,’ he said calmly. ‘You can go to Qom to get your papers. I’ll wait. We’ll all wait.’
Khalkhal was taken aback. ‘But that’s impossible! There’s no train going to Qom at this hour. And I don’t trust the buses.’
‘I’ll arrange for transport,’ Aqa Jaan said. He went over to where the mayor was sitting and spoke with him. The mayor nodded several times in agreement.
‘It’s all set,’ Aqa Jaan told Khalkhal. ‘A jeep will pick you up shortly. The mayor’s chauffeur will drive you to Qom. I’m a patient man, but you’d better not take too much time.’
Khalkhal had been outmanoeuvred. He stood up and stalked angrily to the door to wait for the jeep. For a moment Aqa Jaan thought he saw a flash of pure malice in Khalkhal’s eyes, as if he had suddenly dropped his mask and revealed his true self.
A banquet had not been included in the wedding celebration, but Aqa Jaan felt obliged to feed his guests. ‘Please accept my apologies,’ he announced. ‘These things happen. I cordially invite you all to stay for dinner.’ Then he sent Shahbal to the restaurant opposite the mosque to arrange for food to be delivered.
Fakhri Sadat asked Aqa Jaan to come to her room so she could speak to him in private. ‘Don’t you think you were being a bit hard on the boy?’
‘Maybe I shouldn’t say this, but I don’t trust him.’
‘But you hardly know him.’
‘He’s no ordinary imam. He’s shrewd. I didn’t expect him to show up without identification papers. He has some scheme in mind, though I can’t imagine what.’
‘You men and your schemes! What on earth could he be up to?’
‘Well, what’s done is done. He’s on his way to Qom now. We’ll just have to be patient.’
‘That’s how it always is. Men make the decisions and women must be patient.’
‘That’s not true. I’m not about to give away a daughter of this house without a proper guarantee. I thought you’d understand.’
‘I do, but what should I say to the women?’ she said, avoiding his eyes.
‘You know what to say. Welcome them, give them something to eat and keep smiling. Show them you can rise above the occasion . . . and be patient.’
At ten-thirty there was still no sign of Khalkhal. The guests had finished eating hours ago. The servants
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