86'd

Just returned from another government office, this one responsible for confirming my latest visa extension and not quite as easy with my being American. (It was not my Iranian passport that the appointment was for, as I previously mentioned - which I will actually receive via the Persian Embassy in Hyderabad, India.)
We had been told H and I would be interviewed as a couple - but instead, when the official returned from Session the first words out of his mouth were "How long has she been here?" I listened as H answered his questions, understanding most of what was said between them and immediately disappointed by what I heard.
While those who'd processed my month long visa extensions had been flexible and seemingly uninterested in my being American, this office made it evident that Americans are not allowed entry into the country, much less visa extensions in any circumstance and that I must leave the country within the week - regardless of the three weeks remaining on my most recent extension.

H and his mother followed the official into his office, trying to change what was apparently set in stone and I sat alone in the waiting area, listening helplessly. As the conversation took on a more serious tone, I realized that I would in fact be leaving sooner than later and there was nothing to be done about it. My being American is, for the first time in my life, a serious problem - no longer affording me the freedom of movement I have become so accustomed to.

So, it's time again to pack and prepare for travel...time for us to go back to India and negotiate our paperwork from there with the consolation of knowing that when we decide to return to Iran I will be treated as any other Iranian, with a Persian name (Venus Alipour - pronounced 'Veh-noos,' chosen for me by H's mother in memory of a childhood friend and in my opinion, an excellent fit) and a Persian passport, and the freedom to remain as long as we want.