"Auntie, where are you?" Arash's voice sounded concerned, but there was a hint of teasing in his tone.
Anna sighed, feeling a pang of guilt. "I'm sorry, Arash. I saw your missed calls. Yesterday was... busy. I couldn't call you back."
"It's okay," Arash replied, understanding in his voice. "I knew you'd only be free in the morning."
"Yes, sorry," Anna repeated, feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over her.
Arash hesitated before speaking again. "So, you were right about Ali."
Anna's heart sank slightly. "I was. And I want you to never speak to him again."
"He's still arrested. I talked to his mom last night," Arash said, his voice serious.
Anna's thoughts briefly drifted to the girl in the hospital. "And the girl... I think she might be doing better today. The police asked my colleague for a time to come and question her."
Arash's voice was cautious. "So, did she just try to kill herself, or was it Ali's fault?"
Anna sighed, the weight of the situation pressing down on her. "I just want to hear everything from her today. I'll update you... You have to go to school, right?"
"Right... Take care," Arash said, his voice softening before they exchanged goodbyes.
As Anna hung up the phone, Afra looked at her curiously. "Nephew... Ehsan's son? Or Kouroush's?"
"Ehsan's," Anna replied, a small smile tugging at her lips.
Afra's eyes widened slightly. "How old is he now?"
"Seventeen," Anna said, her voice filled with a mix of pride and nostalgia. "You should see Ehsan. He's grown so much."
Afra's smile was bittersweet. "The last time I saw him, he was just beginning his military service."
Anna nodded, a chuckle escaping her. "His hair is white now. You wouldn't even recognize him."
Afra shook her head with a wistful smile. "I didn't even recognize you. How do you expect me to recognize him?"
They both laughed softly, the sound filling the small office with warmth. The conversation then shifted, and Anna's tone became more serious. "What about Pasha? He's eight now, right?"
Afra nodded, a look of fondness crossing her face. "Yes, he's so young."
Anna could sense the weight of Afra's words and asked gently, "Did you two have problems having him?"
Afra's eyes darkened slightly, a shadow of past pain flickering in them. "We couldn't have a child when we got married. I was young, scared, and then we realized Emad had a problem. I even got pregnant twice, but both times, I lost the child after four or five months. And then, after twenty years, we adopted Pasha."
Anna listened, her heart aching for the pain Afra had endured. "And the problem... it was all from Emad?"
Afra nodded slowly, her gaze distant. Anna didn't press further, but Afra continued on her own, her voice soft and introspective. "Our relationship was terrible, but it was my mom who said we must bring a child into it-it would make things better. And I couldn't divorce, you know, because of my family."
Anna nodded in understanding, knowing all too well the pressures of societal expectations. "Did it get better after Pasha?"
Afra's smile was bitter, her voice tinged with sadness. "He started cheating in front of my eyes. And I dealt with it by telling him to do whatever he wanted, but just don't let Pasha find out when he grew up."