me　here　to　tell　me　this？”

“Nay；　I’ve　done　so　to　be　able　to　see　you。　I’ve　been　thinking　of　you　for　twelve

years。　Remove　your　veil；　my　darling；　let　me　look　at　you　just　once。”

I removed it。 I was pleased as he silently studied my face and stared at

length　into　the　depths　of　my　eyes。

“Marriage　and　motherhood　have　made　you　even　more　beautiful。　And　your

face　has　bee　entirely　different　than　what　I　remembered。”

“How　had　you　remembered　me？”

“With　agony；　because　when　I　thought　of　you；　I　couldn’t　help　but　think　that

what I was remembering wasn’t you but a fantasy。 In our childhood； you

remember how we used to discuss Hüsrev and Shirin； who fell in love after

seeing　images　of　each　other；　don’t　you？　Why　was　it　that　Shirin　hadn’t　fallen　in

love　with　handsome　Hüsrev　when　first　she　saw　his　picture　hanging　from　a　tree

branch　but　had　to　see　that　image　three　times　before　falling　in　love？　You　used

to say that in fairy tales everything happens thrice。 I would argue that love

ought　to　have　blossomed　when　she　first　saw　the　picture。　But　who　could　have

depicted Hüsrev realistically enough for her to fall in love with him； and

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precisely enough that she would recognize him？ We never talked about this。

Over　these　last　twelve　years；　if　I　had　such　a　realistic　portrait　of　your　matchless

face；　perhaps　I　wouldn’t　have　suffered　so。”

He said some quite lovely things in this vein； stories of looking at an

illustration　and　falling　in　love　and　of　how　he’d　suffered　desperately　for　me。　I

noticed　the　way　he　slowly　approached；　and　his　every　word　flitted　through