Ashraf

Abdulakhan was once again trying to start a new life. This time, it was Tehran—the greenest and most prosperous capital of Persia. His affairs were going slightly better. The dreamer managed to get a job as a translator in a foreign embassy. So he worked almost every day, and in the evenings he visited an acquaintance's photo studio and continued to play the dutar in nature. In the photos, everything was always good, and the music helped to release the emotions that constrained him, and little by little, he restored his hope.

One day, while visiting his acquaintance's photography workshop, he saw a girl. She was talking to his friend and picking up newly purchased camera film from the display case. She was of medium height, with dark hair and brown eyes. It was into these eyes that Abdulakhan inadvertently looked. He didn't understand why, but he immediately wanted to hide from that gaze—it was as if he'd been struck by electricity inside. He realized: it was her.

That same evening, Abdulakhan asked his friend everything about the girl. Her name was Ashraf. She unofficially worked as a photographer in the Shah's harem, where only the chosen few could enter.

 Ashraf Os-Saltaneh: As a royal, she was among the first Iranian women to practice photography and is a pioneer for her work in the field.

Abdulakhan began to wait patiently for another visit from the girl to the photo studio, so he no longer missed any visits with his friend. His hope was testing him again. And he finally waited long enough.

It was a true creative union, filled with love. After some time, Ashraf and Abdulakhan married and moved to the east of Persia, to the city of Birjand, where they welcomed two sons and our heroine—their daughter Zinat.