Page 52 of The Mismatch

‘I’m exhausted,’ he said, before letting out a boyish laugh.

Neda breathed out in relief. ‘I’m glad you said that, I’m so tired. I just didn’t want to say it.’

He leant in closer. ‘I can’t wait to leave.’

‘Me neither.’ Neda giggled. She didn’t think she had ever done so before. Was this what married life was about? If so, itwasn’t something her aunties had mentioned. In their tirades about men they omitted the weightless feeling of happiness, the way one’s cheeks hurt from smiling so much.

‘By the way,’ Hossein tilted his head so his lips almost touched her ear, ‘you look beautiful.’

And she felt it. She was aware that some of the women were looking at them critically, particularly his side of the family who were more religious than hers, but so be it – they were married now and this was only a small public display of affection.

‘I’m just going outside for some air,’ Neda said.

It took her even longer than expected to leave the room since relatives had a plethora of things to share with her: complaints about the food, compliments on her dress, and anecdotes about how only yesterday she was a baby and now she was a married woman.

When she eventually made it to the courtyard she let out a deep sigh, feeling the constraints of her dress against her stomach in the process. She leant against the wall. Music could be heard coming from upstairs as well as downstairs, the competing tunes both lulling and overwhelming her.

There were lemon trees in full bloom surrounding a small rectangular pool. Due to the number of guests in the house, they had all removed their shoes outside in the courtyard, rather than inside by the door, and it looked like there were hundreds of pairs cluttering the ground. Behind her she heard movement. Inwardly she groaned. All she wanted was a moment of quiet to herself.

As she turned, a big, fake smile plastered on her face, she was surprised to find Hossein standing there.

She relaxed.

‘It’s so hot inside,’ he said, breathing in fresh air and sighing it out.

‘You look so handsome,’ she heard herself say.

‘Thank you,’ he said. He smiled, moved his head down and then back up, like he didn’t know what to do with himself. He checked that no one was nearby before cupping her face. His hands were warm and soft.

‘I’m going to kiss you,’ he said slowly, looking into her eyes for a beat. ‘I’ve wanted to do this ever since I first saw you, Neda.’

‘Do it then,’ she muttered.

He leant in, brushed his lips across hers, and put one hand behind her head, keeping her there. The kiss deepened, and whilst Neda’s hands were still firmly by her sides, her lips moved with his. She wasn’t sure what she was doing, but went along with Hossein, following his lead as though it were the most natural thing in the world. After all, he was just as inexperienced as she was, and that gave her a sense of comfort. They were having their first kiss together, and it was so special.

They were interrupted by a sound of disgust. Neda recoiled from her husband, to find her portly, red-faced amu Ahmad before them. He jabbed his finger in Hossein’s face.

‘You aren’t good enough for her!’ Neda’s uncle yelled, pushing Hossein who stumbled backwards, tripping overthe pile of shoes and falling to the ground. Neda’s eyes widened in horror.

‘Amu, what are you doing?’ Neda shouted, pulling him away from Hossein.

Up close she could see his bloodshot eyes, and the smell that radiated from him made her recoil. ‘Alcohol? You’re drinking at my wedding?’

‘I told your baba, this man isn’t good!’

‘Get off him!’ Neda helped her husband up. His expression was unreadable, apart from the tightness of his jaw.

‘You’re drunk. Sober up, old man,’ Hossein said, his voice steady.

‘Why did you marry him, Neda? Why did your baba allow it?’ Her uncle picked up a shoe from the floor and threw it against the wall just as Baba entered the courtyard, a look of rage on his face.

He walked over in what felt like double time until he was face to face with Hossein, shoving Neda out of the way.

‘You won’t see your little girlfriend anymore, no more! You hear me? You want to laugh atmyfamily? Disrespectmyfamily?’ He spat on Hossein’s feet. ‘No! Do you hear me?’ His shouts echoed around the courtyard’s walls, and it was only then that Neda noticed the music had been turned down. In true Iranian fashion everyone was eavesdropping.

Her entire body was in knots. She couldn’t quite process what was being said, so much so that she missed some words.

‘You’re mistaken,Baba,’ Hossein said. Neda could detect the sarcasm in his voice. She clutched her chest and shut her eyes for a couple of seconds. And when she opened them, allshe saw was Baba’s raised arm, which swung towards Hossein’s face. Luckily for him, he ducked just in time. Unfortunately for Baba, that meant he stumbled and Hossein caught him.