"Saed News: It was surprising for many people in the city when the daughter of one of the last survivors of the Qajar family stood on one of the famous streets and begged, especially for those who knew her lineage, family, and ancestors."
According to the historical service of Saed News, quoting from Hamshahri Online, in the beginning, no one dared to go and see the real story up close. Everyone assumed that the descendants of the Qajar family had inherited so much wealth from their ancestors that even if they spent it for generations, it would never run out.
People had seen for themselves how these individuals always interacted with others with pride and arrogance, lived in the best homes, ate the finest food, wore the best clothing, drove the best cars, and in short, always had the best of everything. They never wanted to become one of the common people who, most of the time, struggle even to meet their basic daily needs.
Over time, and with the changes in social conditions, the once grand Qajar families lost their former prestige in society. Gradually, they moved away from their old neighborhood, where they had once lived in great glory. Most of them had migrated to European and American countries, and only occasionally did they or their representatives return to manage their financial and real estate affairs before returning to their new homes.
The Qajar families owned so much property and land all around the city and country that even if they sold some, there was always more to sell or rent out. Those Qajar descendants who did not want to sell their inherited properties and sever their family roots from their homeland began building large residential and commercial complexes, renting out apartments and shops themselves, and receiving rent payments every month.
People were somewhat aware of these affairs and knew that with such legendary wealth, it was unlikely that one of them would ever run out of money. It was even more surprising that one day, one of them would resort to begging in public. And so, the rumors about "Afaq al-Dawlah" begging on a street corner started to spread.
At first, one of the women from the old neighborhood saw her. She couldn’t believe it and went closer to confirm if it was truly Afaq al-Dawlah. Sure enough, it was her. With the same pride and grandeur she had always had, Afaq al-Dawlah was standing on the corner of the street begging. She wasn’t even concerned or startled when she saw the familiar woman from her neighborhood. After that, the rumors spread more and more. Some people said Afaq al-Dawlah had lost her mind, while others said perhaps she had really run out of money and had no choice but to endure such humiliation among the Qajar descendants.
Afaq al-Dawlah did not socialize much with the women in the neighborhood, so they could not uncover the secrets of her life. They only knew that she was a solitary woman, very private about her life. Speculations about her strange new behavior led one of the neighborhood women to finally ask her directly about it, using the language that women know best.
Afaq al-Dawlah’s sharp and unexpected response made the curious woman lose her temper. Without regard for Afaq al-Dawlah’s pride, she asked her, “If you really have no money, why would you come here looking like this, with those high-heeled shoes, begging in front of people?” Afaq al-Dawlah’s response was brief and striking: “We’ve fallen off our horse, but we haven’t fallen from our roots!”
