Yesterday, because I didn’t know where the extra blankets were (plus their small size), I froze all night. The morning passed with breakfast and enjoyable silence, leading up to work discussions that didn’t reach the desired outcome.

I also had the privilege of witnessing Ali prepare dough for bread, though the baking was left for the evening in his handmade oven. Fortunately, the wheat had already been milled by specialized machines.

Ali was tending to the plants in Zarkhesht’s yard and asked me to empty the honeycombs from the hives to prevent ants and other insects. While doing so, I discovered that crushing and cutting the combs gives a strong ASMR sensation. If you enjoy ASMR, I highly recommend trying this episode.

Mirza Ghasemi for lunch and potato kuku for dinner were again lovingly prepared by Ali’s mother, and their taste was incredible. Today, after breakfast with bread Ali had made the previous night, I packed up and got ready to return. I didn’t want to leave Zarkhesht, but I also didn’t want to be any more trouble.

Thanks to Ali escorting me to the road, I caught the first bus to Qazvin and then headed directly back to Tabriz, avoiding the previous trip’s hassles. A few hours later, a wave of regret hit me, leaving Zarkhesht is by no means easy.