10
The Konari Family
‘Zahra, this is Tahmineh Khanoum, Esmat’s housekeeper,’ Nasim said, introducing the women to each other. Before Ahmad could wriggle away, Tahmineh knelt down and hugged him against her floral bosom.
‘Mashallah! Welcome, welcome!’ she beamed as she adjusted her white headscarf. ‘Please, come this way.’
Zahra stifled an exclamation as they followed Tahmineh into the house—the entrance hall looked like a house from a Hollywood movie. A huge Persian carpet partially covered the parquetry floor and a display of flowers stood on a central table, flooding the circular atrium with their heavy scent.
‘Look, Mummy,’ Ahmad whispered.
She followed his gaze to the multi-coloured glass dome high above them in the ceiling, from which shards of light patterned the pale walls. Sh
