Free The Book of Fate by Parinoush Saniee

too. How about Mahmoud?’
    â€˜No, Mahmoud hasn’t come home yet. That’s why I’m worried. He always comes home before you do.’
    â€˜He didn’t take his motorcycle today,’ Father said. ‘Traffic is bad and he probably can’t find a taxi. There’s snow and ice everywhere. It seems winter doesn’t want to end this year… So I see the Armenian closed his place early, too, and somebody decided to come home.’
    Father rarely spoke to Ahmad and when he made snide remarks about him it was always as an indirect insinuation.
    Sitting on the edge of the reflecting pool, Ahmad retorted, ‘As a matter of fact, he didn’t close early. But I’m not going out until I know where I stand with all of you.’
    Father held on to the door frame and started taking off his shoes. The light from the hallway only partially lit the room. I was on the floor, next to the
korsi
, and he couldn’t see me. He quipped, ‘So! Instead of us figuring out where we stand with the gentleman, the gentleman wants to determine where he stands with us.’
    â€˜Not with you, with that nefarious daughter of yours.’
    Father’s face turned as white as chalk.
    â€˜Watch your mouth,’ he warned. ‘Your sister’s honour is your honour. Have some shame.’
    â€˜Forget it! She’s made sure we have no honour left. Pull your head out of the snow, Father, and stop hounding me. Your big tub of shame has tumbled to the ground. Everyone in the neighbourhood heard it fall, except for you who have stuffed cotton wool in your ears and don’t want to hear.’
    Father was visibly shaking. Terrified, Mother pleaded, ‘Ahmad, my dear. Ahmad! May God let me sacrifice my life for you, may all that ails and troubles you be inflicted on me, don’t say such things. Your father will drop dead. Nothing has happened. Her ankle hurt and they gave her a pill.’
    Having regained his composure, Father said, ‘Leave him alone. Let me hear what he has to say.’
    â€˜Why don’t you ask your pampered daughter?’ Ahmad said, pointing to the room, and Father’s eyes turned searchingly towards me. He couldn’t see properly and he reached out and turned on the light. I don’t know how I looked, but he suddenly sounded terrified.
    â€˜Dear God! What have they done to you?’ he gasped as he rushed over and helped me sit up. Then he took his handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the blood from the corners of my mouth. His handkerchief had the cool scent of rosewater.
    â€˜Who did this to you?’ he asked.
    My tears started to flow faster.
    â€˜You vile scoundrel, you raised your hand to a woman?’ he shouted at Ahmad.
    â€˜Here you go,’ Ahmad retorted. ‘So now I’m the guilty one! Forget about chastity and virtue. We have none. So what if she ends up in the hands of anyone and everyone. From now on, I have to wear a cad’s hat.’
    I didn’t know at what point Mahmoud had arrived home. But just then, I saw him standing midway between the house and the yard, looking confused. Mother intervened and while draping her chador over her shoulders she said, ‘That’s enough! Now say praise to the Prophet and his descendants. I want to serve dinner. You, stand aside. And you, take this tablecloth and spread it on the floor over there. Faati? Faati? Where are you, you imp?’
    Faati had been there the entire time, but no one had noticed her. She emerged from the shadows behind the stack of bedding in the corner of the room and ran to the kitchen. A few minutes later, she walked back carrying the dinner plates and gently put them on top of the
korsi
.
    Father finished examining the cut on the side of my mouth, my bruised eye and bloody nose, and asked, ‘Who did this to you? Ahmad? Damn him.’ Then he turned towards the yard and shouted, ‘You lout, am I dead for you to now treat my wife and