Irenji-Neamat, Kasim, Irene, everyone is tired

"My regards honored Kasim!" Irenji-Neamat said when he entered the office of the chief of Kazan police. "I'm about one black-haired miss. Let's let her go, okay?"

"Are you talking about Irene? She behaves well, let her sit on," wearily answered Kasim looking through the petition letters. "Trust me, it's better if everyone forgets about her."

"With all due respect, imagine that you are sitting in cell, you don't know when they will let you out and if they will let you out at all."

"I have such a position, if I fall, they won't leave me alive," Kasim grinned.

"Do you know what? Take her, just promise me that you will get out of our khanate far away," Kasim suddenly changed his mind. "If accidentally they find out in Istanbul that she is 'resting' here with me ... Give my respects to your father, I am indebted to him."

Ulu escorted Irene to the chamber. Disheveled Irene, with a shock of greasy long ago unwashed hair, without saying a word were looking at the floor.

"Well, miss Irene," Kasim got up from the table and walked in front of her. "Won't you do that again?"

Irene nodded her head vigorously in agreement.

Kasim waved his hand, "You can go free."

***

Irene could not come to her senses for a long time and cried silently, sitting in the room. After the police chief Kasim released her and ordered her to get out of Kazan, Irenji-Neamat rented a cozy house on a quiet street. Irene needed a rest and could not start the journey, and did not even want to say where she wanted to go, so they stayed in Kazan enjoying the warm spring days. The branches of the pink apple tree hung over the window and Irene sat for hours looking out the window thinking nothing.

They often walked holding hands along the banks of the Volga, enjoying the fresh spring air.

***

"How did you manage to persuade Kasim to let me go?" Irene once asked Irenji-Neamat.

"My father and Kasim were friends. They met in the Mazandaran city of Amol when they were young," Irenji-Neamat took thought. " Well, I don't really know myself, my father didn't like to talk about it."