Hope Melodies

Defeated Plot

I analyzed the situation as SAVAK aimed to crush my nerves and force me into a mental war. They repeatedly had not succeeded in defeating or crushing me in previous prisons by tortures and interrogations. SAVAK had concluded that my presence in prison was a sign of hope and strong soul for other prisoners. It would also persuade the strugglers out of prison to take revenge. So, they freed me in a very calculated plot to reach two goals. The first goal was to engage me in a mental dilemma and pretend to my friends that I had cooperated with SAVAK. The second goal of SAVAK was to know and identify the people who might have contacts with me. So, I was really worried about my friends to be informed and also their contacts. I did not want them to be entrapped by SAVAK. I was ready to be hanged but save my friends.[1]

It was possibly a day after my freedom that somebody knocked on the door. My Mum opened the door and called me: “Ahmad! Someone is here who says he is a friend of you. I do not know him!” It was possible that he could be a SAVAK agent. But I had to go. There was no other choice. I asked her to let him come in. Moments later unbelievably I saw the late Haj Mehdi Araghi in front of me. He got closer and hugged and kissed me. After knowing about my legs condition, he asked: “Ahmad! What’s up? When was your trail?” I got sad and said: “No trail, no interrogation and no questioning!” He asked again: “How come you are freed now?” I said: “I do not know either. How could you know?” He said: “The night you were freed, the entire Bazaar palls were informed.” I said: “You are an icon of struggle for us. You know that my freedom could be a trap. Why did not you think it possible that I have had cooperated with SAVAK? Why you were not cautious?” He said: “Ahmad! We trust you. I have reviewed all these thoughts. Do not worry. I came here because I knew you might be busy with all these thoughts. I also know that you need money. I got and brought the 17 thousand Tomans that you had given to the shop owner in the shopping passage.” He explained the MKO members had tried to get this money several times but by the involvement of Haj Ali Akbar Poor-ostad they could not succeed!

Before saying goodbye, I asked Haj Mehdi not to let other palls to come to my house and being entrapped by SAVAK. He said: “We know what to do and will not make any risk. Do not be worried.” He also insisted: “SAVAK wants to see we have left you alone and boycotted. But they are thinking wrong.”

It was interesting. From the day after the friends from INP, Hezbollah, and Islamic Coalition Councils including the late Sadegh Eslami, Abolhassan Falahati, Ahmad Roohi and Ramadan Sultani and … came to visit me. More interesting was that our house became a circle for the meetings of friends and hot political discussions were held among them. I was not anymore alone and become relaxed with no worries. Once again my friends could wipe out SAVAK plot with cleverness and did not let them to boycott me.

 

Visit with Ayatollah Khamenei

The Thursday, a week after my freedom, my sincere friend during my hard days, the late Haj Mohammad Sadegh Eslami came to visit me. Visiting him made me so happy just like visiting my brother. I loved him more than other friends of mine. He was so precious for me. However, I was worried for him that time. I did not like to endanger him just for visiting me. Anyway, after greetings, I expressed my worry about his security. He said: “Ahmad! Do not be worried. Everything is under our control. There is no trap and you are freed. The conditions have changed. Now, people are playing.”

What he said made me calm and hopeful as before. I narrated parts of the news in prison for him and he talked about the changing conditions in society.  He said: “The tone of struggles is sharper now and more people are aware and many prisoners are being freed.” He added: “Agha Seyyed Ali wants to see you.” I got angry and shouted: “Haji! Why don’t you take care? I won’t come. He would be endangered!” He said: “Ahmad! Your worry is needless. SAVAK wants to see we have left you to crush you. If you wanted to betray us, you could do it when you were in prison. Let’s imagine SAVAK agents come. We would say we have done nothing particular. A friend of ours is freed and sick. We have invited him to visit him. You should not be worried about anything…”

What he said was just like cold water on fire. It healed my injured soul. Through his words I found out the pals in Islamic Coalition Councils have had detailed discussions and concluded SAVAK wants to crush me to omit me from the struggles. So, they had firmly decided to help me once again. I told Haj Sadegh: “By my coming he would be endangered. Let me reject your suggestion.” He said: “He has asked you by his own wish to go there. Our appointment would be on Sunday after the evening prayers. Come to our house.”

While being deeply worried I was counting the seconds to visit Mr. Khamenei. The promised day reached. Worriedly I took my sticks to go. I changed taxis several times to be more secure. I reached Iran Street and the house of the late Eslami. This house was an old loved one for me. In the past whenever I was in danger of being pursuit, I would take shelter there. I saw the door of the house was open. I knocked and entered the corridor. There were two big rooms on the right side -that in one of them I would reside before. There were about twenty pairs of shoes. I guessed there was a meeting.

I said “Ya Allah!”, and entered. I said hello to all and then I saw all the people there stood up to hug and kiss me in a way that I lose my control over my sticks and they fell. Suddenly I found myself beside Agha (Ayatollah Khamenei). We shook hands and made greetings. He asked me to sit beside him and then asked: “What’s up Ahmad!” And then I narrated whatever had happened to me (in short); from the street fight with SAVAK to hospital, prison …and Fatima… and at last I sadly expressed my feeling about my freedom. I said that the Red Cross came to visit me. I expressed my strange feeling about SAVAK behavior. He said: “You are crushed mentally!” I said: “Yes. This is my story and I do not know why I am freed.”

He asked: “Who has come to visit you up to now?” I said: “The first person was Haj Mehdi Araghi and INP comrades.” He said: “Bravo to INP pals. So, they have come to visit you and did not let you to be alone and sad. They have surely told you not to be worried and if you wanted to betray them you could have done it before…” I said: “Haj Agha! I still think it is a trap.” He said: “it is over now. You are out of prison now and you will see what’s going on. The struggle is reaching to its highest point. It is not the story of my group or yours. All the people are moving. And you should not be worried about these things! Being freed and breathing are enough to thank God a lot.”

At the end he asked about my leg’s conditions. I showed him the parts that had been shot and told him that they were bothering me. I also noted that it was Ayatollah Taleghani who did not let them to cut my legs. At last, he said: “Ahmad! If you are so worried, let me ask Andarzgou to send you abroad.” I said: “Haj Agha it would make troubles for him. I cannot walk properly or run or hide.” He said: “These affairs are not yours to think about. Just tell me do you want to go or not?” I said: “No Agha! I do not want to go. I love my land. If I should die I prefer to die in my own land.”

Visiting and hearing him made my heart warm and trustful. I could pass the days after much easier. The pals in Islamic Coalition Councils did whatever they could for me and took my hands in the most dangerous moments of my life. That fatherly visit changed me totally and brought me out of sadness and depression and blinded the plot by SAVAK.[2]

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