It was getting cold, but not enough to wear heavy clothes. The day was obscure and gloomy. Sky seemed swelling with thunder and storm. Right at three O'clock, Neda stood in front of the stairs of the school, where she had gone everyday for the entire week and had hidden so not to be seen. But today she wanted to be seen. The students and teachers were leaving the school. Her heart began to pound uncontrollably when she saw Mansour descending the stairs. Mitra, his girlfriend was not with him; but Neda could see that she was a little behind talking to another woman. Mansour suddenly saw Neda at the bottom of the stairs. He walked towards her. There was no other way for him unless he went back inside. But he did not want to avoid her. He wanted to end it as much as she did. Staying silent and not talking would delay his marriage to Mitra, who would not marry him unless he was divorced. Neda, at the bottom of stairs, saw in his aura that he intended to talk to her. Frozen without being able to move, the few seconds before he would reach her seemed like a long time. He reached her. She thought for a second to turn around and leave. There was no courage left in her. She had left home all the bravery and gallantry that she thought she could use them for this meeting, but now they were broken in pieces. Now he was right in front of her, almost face to face. He stood, looking at her. There was a strange bewilderment in him seeing her so frail and pale. She forgot why she was there, forgot the speech she had prepared. She could not speak. She was not able to say what she saw in his face when she raised her head finally; but at that moment she also saw the other woman was coming down the stairs. Neda had only a second to say what she had practiced many times before the other woman would be at the bottom of stairs. Mansour had a searching glance; but did not say anything. He just stood there in front of her.
"I must...must talk to you! Come home tonight!" She babbled these few words while feeling she might chock on her own words. She looked at his eyes and saw nothing. She had left very little stamina, she used her last thread of energy, while feeling she was getting sick; turned around and began running. She did not even wait for his answer. Would he or would he not go to see her that evening? She had had a good look at the other woman. The other was beautiful, was a woman, mature, and voluptuous! Neda was praising her rival because he had left her, ignored her and found someone better than her for himself.
Her frenzied soul hated his happiness. Little was left of her affection for him and conventionality of his nature, yet Neda overcame by what was revealed to her now. She had seen the look of the other woman on him. Every veil, she had seen, was stripped from the other woman; and her very vivacity shone in her eyes the way she had looked at Mansour. In this simplistic stare, Neda had seen the naked psyche of the other. She had seen clearly than ever the woman her husband loved and the woman who loved her husband. She had always thought no one could love Mansour. She had proven wrong.
Mother called and said that her father wanted t talk to her. "So they're suspicious!" She was surprised herself that she had been able to hide the leaving of Mansour for three weeks from her family. She had rushed inside her apartment to answer the phone coming back from her short adventure with her husband. "They probably know something is amiss!" She excused herself by saying to her mother that she was studying and she had to go to school and she had exam that night. However she promised to go there the next day. When mother insisted, Neda said with a harsh voice:
" I have to go to school; and after that I want to be at my own home tonight; do you mind?" She had never used this kind of language with her mother. Mehri did not say anything. She knew of her daughter's oscillating mood very well.
To Be Continued
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