The Persian Wife

By Orsolya V. Kiss

Rita never imagined that the prince of her dreams would be an Iranian man. Yet as soon as they meet, she knows that the attractive Ali is the real one. She's knocked off her feet by a smart, cheeky, handsome guy studying to be an electrical engineer. Ali soon convinces Rita that they belong to each other.
However, Rita has to face the disapproval of her family and friends as no one supports her developing relationship with Ali. She stands for her love, and when Ali gets a job in Iran after graduating from university, Rita says yes to his proposal. Leaving her work and friends behind, she follows her new husband to Tehran.
Contrary to Rita's expectations, their life abroad does not start smoothly. She seeks her place in a new, completely different culture while her husband slowly changes, revealing his true face. Ali shows a new side, previously unknown to Rita, and she feels in her own skin that her friends may have been right when they warned her about the Iranian guy. Everyday conflicts and her husband's manifestations test their marriage, but Rita fights for it. She believes that Ali is a gentle man with deep feelings, and that, despite their problems, they can be happy again.
Can their love endure anything?
The novel was inspired by real events and raises question such as, what should we tolerate from our spouse, and when is enough, enough?
 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Orsolya V. Kiss
• Release date: Dec 12, 2021
• ISBN: 9786150138442

Book preview

Chapter 1

Two new colleagues started working for us the day I met Ali. I was just preparing their onboarding documentation, immersing myself in the wonders of personal data, when Marko walked in.

Wow, Rita. Don’t you look pretty today! he exclaimed with a wide grin on his face.

I honestly can’t say whether it was his stout figure combined with his ever-greasy hair, or his never-ending stories, which irritated me the most.

Could you find out why I didn’t receive the refund for the monthly travel pass?

Not yet, Marko, but if I recall correctly, I promised I would look into it this afternoon.

Well, never mind. I just popped in anyway.

Oh right. As if this was the first time he’d pestered me. Whenever there was a corporate function, he’d manage to sit next to me, and he was always inviting me to sleazy dates, like trying out his new motorbike. He didn’t take no for an answer.

I’ll call you later, okay? I turned back to my laptop.

Marko didn’t pick up on my signals. He started telling me about his day; how awful it was that his bag had got caught in the doors of the bus as they were shutting.

Luckily, Lily arrived and saved me. As soon as she entered, she realized I needed her.

Hey, guys, the marketing department is going on and on about their new boss. They saw him completely drunk on tram line one, she said.

You’re kidding, Marko said.

No way. Go up to them and ask them yourself!

Marko was so curious, he quickly left.

I could finally relax a bit.

Dear little Rita, this guy is completely into you, Lily said to me, arranging her long black hair into a bun on the top of her head.

But why, pray tell me. Why do such guys fall for me? Why not tall, cool, handsome ones?

If you feel that way, then you should totally come to the party tonight. Lily arranged her sleek dress and sat down behind her desk. The receptionists will come, and so will some of the marketing girls.

It’s been a busy week. Sorry, I just don’t feel up to it.

Well, if you want a cool guy, you need to go out there, you know? Here at the company, Marko is the only single guy.

Oh my God, you’re right.

That’s why you must come.

I asked her to let me think about it, but I knew she was right. I did have a lot of work, though. I had put in some extra hours, and I felt tired. Our team leader, Maria, was away, and I wanted to prove my worth. Not like Lily; she was much more casual about her job. Mind you, she’d been at the company for longer than me, and everybody already loved her, while I still felt I had to prove myself. Especially since Lily had put in a good word for me. That was how I had been hired right out of university.

By lunchtime, I had got all the paperwork ready.

We ate in the kitchen with the marketing girls, so I had half an hour to forget about my chores. Time always flew by in our modern, colorful kitchen, where we girls sat around the table, chatting. It was quite disappointing when Marko joined us, especially when he sat down right opposite me.

Hey, new shoes? he said. Very pretty.

No, they are not new, I said. But a girl can’t have too many shoes.

The girls giggled.

Lily turned to me.

So, Rita, what is your decision? To party or not party?

As Marko sat there in front of me, the truth about my dating possibilities really hit home.

Definitely party.

Where are you ladies going? Marko said.

To a ladies’ place, Lily answered.

In the end, I was happy to oblige her. As we were flatmates, it would have been hard not to go, anyway. The flat we lived in was Lily’s. Her parents had bought it for her; refurbishing it nicely, too. I enjoyed living there, next to several other semis on the outskirts of town. The subway was close; it took us half an hour to get to work.

Lily had lived there while she was attending uni. After graduation, when she heard I was looking for a room, she proffered the small bedroom at a very affordable price. I was happy to accept it and become independent of my parents, even if I could only squeeze in a French bed, a dresser, and a wardrobe. I became friends, colleagues, and flatmates with Lily.

I told Pete I would be out with you girls, Lily was just saying as we tidied up. And that on Sunday I have to practice for my swing performance. So we can’t meet this weekend.

And how did he take it?

He didn’t like it. He prefers when I go out with him, plus he’s jealous because I do the swing with a dance partner. But it was he who enrolled in that faraway uni. If he doesn’t like long-distance relationships, he shouldn’t have left, don’t you think?

Aren’t you afraid he’ll get mad at you?

She laughed. Oh, Pete is not that type. Besides, I don’t mind if he does.

He really loves you, I said, laughing with her.

***

Agnes and Rose, from the marketing department, came along, and so did Hanna and Adele who were the company’s receptionists. We launched the night with Lily’s favorite board game, Drunk Stoned or Stupid, and had a bottle of tequila at the ready for the losers to take shots. Weren’t we lucky to work for a drinks company? We got insane discounts on anything. We laughed a lot, and as soon as the bottle was empty, we felt ready to move on to a club. But the girls couldn’t agree on the place.

There’s good music at Sweet Garden, Hanna and Adele said.

Oh come on, they water down the drinks, Rose whined.

I know how to decide, Lily said, which was quite something, considering how much tequila she’d already had. We scream at the top of our voices. If Miss Mercedes next door arrives in five minutes or less to complain, then it’s Sweet Garden; if she doesn’t, then Rose and Agnes will choose where we go!

Everyone loved the idea. Except for me.

Don’t worry, Rita, she’s just getting what she deserves. Lily put her hand up and counted to three.

The receptionists were loud as hell. After a few seconds, Lily put her finger to her lips to shush them.

Within two minutes, there was a knock at the door.

I jumped up to answer it.

Mercedes was forty-something and had just got back from Italy, having tried to work there for ten months before giving up. She looked back at me quite pissed off.

I said nicely that we were sorry and quickly invented a reason for the noise. I said a shield bug had just flown in through the window and landed in someone’s hair. That’s why we’d got so scared. I also told her we’d be leaving in a minute so she needn’t worry.

I wasn’t sure about this last bit, but fifteen minutes later, we were walking down the street toward the tram stop.

Lily pulled out a new bottle from her bag.

My dear ladies, we shall not die of thirst.

I grabbed it and took a sip; our colleagues cheered.

Lily gave me a slice of lemon. As it turned out, she’d brought the salt shaker from home, too.

The girls screamed and laughed.

We got to Sweet Garden pretty quickly. It was a fashionable club in a cellar, downtown. It had flowers and trees painted on the walls, and green tables and chairs, which is how it got its name. It was happy hour for cocktails on Fridays, so young people—especially foreign students—loved this place.

As soon as we entered, Lily heard her favorite song playing, so she pulled me to the dance floor straightaway. She tried to lure the other girls too, but they were at the bar, deciding what to have—which drink was still okay even when watered down, actually. So Lily and I danced together, jumping to the beat, but I admit my eyes were on the boys scattered around.

And then I saw him.

He was your cliche handsome guy; tall, with black hair, bronze skin, and a longish face you see on Mediterranean men. He was standing with a friend at the counter, and evaluating the dancing crowd.

I poked Lily, and she nodded appreciatively. This seemed to get the attention of the handsome black prince, as he looked directly at me.

Oh my God, I was so embarrassed. I looked away, and then I lost sight of him.

Lily pulled me off the dance floor to get a drink.

And then I felt a warm hand on my shoulder.

When I turned around, I found myself standing in front of this beautiful guy. When he spoke to me, asking where to find the gents, I couldn’t utter a word, so I just pointed in the right direction. He said thanks and headed that way.

That was pretty lame, Lily said.

I don’t get it either. If he wanted to get to know me, why didn’t he stay to talk for a bit? Oh well, I don’t need a man to have fun. Dance?

We asked for tequila sunrises while Agnes and Rose chose vodkas. We took our drinks back to the dance floor. We had great fun, and soon the prince materialized next to me. He said, Thanks again.

My name is Ali, he added, and we shook hands.

He leaned very close to my ear and said something like I was beautiful. Then he asked if he could get me another drink. I nodded and followed him, waving to Lily. The girls giggled enthusiastically; I felt their eyes on my back as I left.

Where are you from? I asked when we arrived at the counter. I had to lean in close to him because the music was very loud, and when I smelled his subtle perfume, I breathed it in.

Iran. I’m studying to be an electrical engineer. How about you?

I was amazed he came from that far away.

I was born here and work for a well-known and huge company as an excellent human resource professional, I said, grinning. I guess I had one too many cocktails in me.

I’m happy to make your acquaintance then.

He laughed at me, and I marveled. He had wonderful, big, dark-blue eyes in his caramel-colored face, contrasting with his dark hair. He looked like he knew his business, and he seemed to be a guy with secrets. That masculine calm had me hooked.

As he passed me the mojito, our hands touched, and yes, the chemistry was there. We kept chatting into the night, and I found him more and more exciting. When we said goodbye, he asked me for my number.

On the way home, I told the girls about my new suitor.

Oh, so the toilet guy pulled himself together, Lily remarked. It’s too bad he is not from here.

I didn’t mind that he wasn’t from around here; he was the epitome of the kind of man I was looking for. The other girls were in awe of him too.

His message woke me the next morning. He’d invited me to the movies. I was on cloud nine and ran into Lily’s room to tell her the news. She was still in bed, shushing me to keep the volume down. She had a terrible headache.

Really, he texted you? Her voice was coarse. He really wants something from you, then. Are you sure you don’t mind that he doesn’t speak the same language?

Are you kidding? I’ll develop my language skills, which would be great!

I had expected Lily to be more enthusiastic, especially considering she was the one who had been adamant I go out and find someone. I didn’t mind though; I was preparing for my date. I was hesitating between a lacy top that showed quite a bit of cleavage and a humble black dress. I just didn’t know what kind of image I should project. Decisions, decisions... In the end, I stayed on the safe side and put on the dress. I knew that with my long, blonde hair down, I’d look my best.

Ali was waiting for me in front of the café. He was wearing blue jeans and a white shirt. He looked even taller than I remembered and especially athletic, making me wonder how I could go out with such a fantastic guy. I was so stressed about this; I was afraid that once we sat down at a table, we would have nothing to say to each other. But Ali didn’t need encouragement; he talked about himself easily.

When I was a kid, I wanted to be a pro skier, he said. We went to the mountains every year. The coach always told my father how good I was but it needed a lot of training, and my father wanted me to have a regular job. He didn’t want to invest in a sporting career for me. So my dream didn’t come true, and now it’s too late. I’m too old to start again.

I felt his bitterness and noted, Engineering isn’t bad either.

Yes, it has its advantages. I was accepted with top grades but now, I don’t work too hard. I don’t care about good grades; I want to enjoy my life. Lately, I’ve been focusing on playing the guitar a lot more.

I was amazed. I didn’t know what to say about myself. I didn’t have good grades like Ali had; I didn’t even have an interesting hobby. Sometimes I went to the gym with Lily, and attended aerobics classes. As for uni, I’d hardly reached the entry requirements.

I work at the HR department, as I told you, I said about myself. "We distribute alcoholic drinks and all kinds of sodas. My colleagues are fine, though; of course, I do not like all of them— my team leader is not nice at all, but thankfully she’s off for some time now, on sick leave. There’s a lot to do, albeit with little encouragement, and quite often we have to put in extra hours. But still, it’s a good job, and a