Her father was the head of Criminal Investigations in Saravan. A man whose sole concern was the security of the people and who approached the accused with composure and dialogue. For 10 years, in the easternmost point of the country, known as the birthplace of Iran's sun, he walked into the ambush of death in various operations; yet he stood firm. He was the pillar of the home, and in his shadow was a wife who, despite her husband's long absences and round-the-clock efforts to secure the region, remained patient. She knew her husband had a sensitive job and that the people needed him, so she did not complain. Perhaps it was this very steadfastness that made Narges also worthy of flying alongside Alireza.
To understand this love and steadfastness, we went to Reyhaneh Shahraki, the daughter of martyrs Narges Sayyad and Alireza Shahraki, and she recounted for us: Her father's absences to ensure the security of the people and her mother's patience. Her father's fearless confrontation with the accused and his assassination at the hands of the cowardly forces of Jaysh al-Zolm. The sky that shared their grief and began to pour down rain during the peak of scorching heat in Saravan. The daughter who studied experimental sciences at a school for the gifted and dreamed of becoming a doctor to heal wounds; yet her soul bore such a deep injury that all her motivations faded into the darkness of this great loss. What follows are the memories and heartfelt words of Reyhaneh Shahraki.
"My father was the head of Criminal Investigations. During all the 10 years we were in Saravan, my father's only concern was helping people. That people wouldn't worry about insecurity, or if someone was killed, that the murderer would be found. Even when he came home, he didn't rest and was constantly busy on the phone, managing operations."
"My father had a remarkable approach in dealing with the accused and tried to resolve things through conversation. In available footage from some operations, we see them shooting at him, yet he acted mostly with consideration and composure."
"The father of the family is a mountain, a steadfast pillar, and if he is gone, the family falls apart. My mother was very patient. My father was never home. A woman needs her husband by her side, to pay attention to her; but because of my father's job, my mother was deprived of this blessing."
"My father was so focused on his work that he saw its result and reached this status—otherwise, not everyone is worthy of martyrdom. His colleagues said they never thought he would be martyred this way. They said they often thought he would be martyred during an operation."
"I always went to school at 7:15 AM. On the day of the incident, I don't know how it happened, but my dad dropped me off at school at 6:45. Then he and my mom went to the bakery, and they were assassinated at the intersection. At 8:30 AM, two of my father's colleagues came and said, 'Your dad has had an accident; he said we should pick you up to go to a colleague's house.' I don't know what patience God gave me and my brother that day that we weren't restless at all."
"At 12:45 PM, at the peak of the heat, it rained! At 4 PM, they said we should go to the hospital to discharge your mother. We set off for the hospital, but we passed it. I thought to myself, it must be Razi Hospital. But we passed that too. I wanted to ask, 'Uncle, why did we pass the hospital?' when I saw a vehicle like those used by law enforcement to transport martyrs, with my dad's picture on it, drive by."
"I said, 'Dad is gone!' Another one with my dad's picture passed by too. It didn't even cross my mind that my mom was also gone. When we arrived at the headquarters, they placed the coffins of my mom and dad in front of us. I couldn't believe it. I was still in shock and thought they had been in an accident. Until I saw their car with a cloth draped over it. At first, they prevented me, but with great effort, I pulled the cloth aside and saw my parents' blood spilled on the seats, and the entire car was riddled with bullet holes."
"The next morning, we went to the Behesht-e Mohammad Rasool Allah cemetery in Zahedan, and they brought my mother's lifeless body. No matter how much we called, she wouldn't answer. I kept expecting, saying, 'Mom, Narges, answer!' but she wouldn't answer."
"My mother had taken an exam to become a teacher, and one week after her martyrdom, the results came: Narges Sayyad, Mathematics Teacher for Sib and Suran."
"I had many dreams, but I didn't achieve them. I was studying experimental sciences in high school to become a doctor and achieve something, but in the middle of the path, with the psychological blow I suffered from my parents' martyrdom, I was defeated, and many things became regrets for me."
"The martyrdom of my parents is painful for us, but because they gave their precious lives for this country, it is our pride, and they are our role models. The terrorists' goal is to portray our people badly. We Shia and Sunni live together in this province and have no problems with each other. We also have Baluch people, thank God, who behave in such a way that we sometimes say you cannot find men more honorable than these Baluch gentlemen."