On the eve of Nowruz that year, I went to Babol to buy some confectionery supplies. In the market, I saw someone who looked very much like Mashti. I approached him and called out; it was indeed him. Seeing me, he got scared, as it turned out he had committed theft again and was on the run; I was unaware of this. Noticing his fear, I didn’t press the matter; we exchanged brief pleasantries, and I told him, “Uncle, I’m staying at the Golshan guesthouse, if you’re free, come visit me”; he left, and I went about my business.
The next morning, he showed up early; he had realized I wasn’t after him. After some chat, he confessed, “We did something wrong”; he and three others had gone to the house of Haj Karimollah Baraghani and stolen ten thousand tomans; back then, that was a considerable amount. They apparently knew beforehand that such an amount was in the house. Haj Karimollah was away on a trip at the time, with only his wife and daughter-in-law at home. According to Mashti, the four of them went there, threw the quilt of a korsi (traditional heating system) over the household members so they couldn’t see, then found and stole the money. I reminded him, “You had sworn off such deeds”; he said, “I didn’t want to do it, Mohammad Reisi seduced me into it”; apparently, Mohammad had a grudge against Haj Karimollah and they had some unresolved issues. Eventually, after those incidents, Haj Karimollah had filed a complaint against them, and they were on the run. Mashti then said, “I’ve been here for a while and I’m tired, I’ll come to Chalus with you.” I had finished my shopping and had no more business there. The next day, we headed towards Chalus together; when we reached Nowshahr, he said, “I’ll stay here, I have an acquaintance; if I go to Karaj, I’ll be arrested.” I gave him the address of the confectionery, we said goodbye, and he left. It seems the gendarmes were already on his trail, and upon his arrival, they arrested him, confiscated his money, clothes, shoes, everything, and then released him.
The next day at the shop, someone came asking, “Are you Haj Amrollah Narimani?” He had a message from Mashti, saying he was waiting for me two kilometers outside Nowshahr, under a solitary tree; he had requested a pair of shoes, a package of tobacco, and some money. I gathered the items he asked for and set off on a rented bicycle. Near Nowshahr, I heard someone whistling; it was him, sitting under a solitary tree. He planned to go to Dorvan; he put on the shoes, took the two tomans, we said goodbye, and he left. In Dorvan, he was arrested again and taken to jail; however, Mohammad Reisi, apparently through an acquaintance, managed to get him released. Mashti wasn’t originally a criminal; those were chaotic times in the country. World War II had just reached Iran, bringing with it famine, hardship, and insecurity. Health and security are the greatest blessings; for several years, the country lacked security; from 1941 to 1946, insecurity was rampant. The Allies had evacuated Iran, but the Russians wouldn’t leave; some had even attempted to separate Azerbaijan from Iran. Eventually, through the intervention of the United Nations and the USA, the Russians evacuated, and the government was able to restore security to Azerbaijan and other areas.