Modern dating, already fraught with emotional ups and downs, can feel even more difficult when a person is under pressure to find “the one”.
In the religiously conservative Islamic Republic of Iran, finding Mr or Miss Right can be especially tough. Those seeking love often have to break the rules and take risks.
Sahar, 35, remembers a time when women were afraid of everything, from the country’s morality police – who impose Islamic dress codes and public conduct – to their own families.
“At some point, something changed,” she says. Parents stood up to the police and asked them: “What right do you have to arrest our child? OK, she was travelling with a boy – so what?”
Sahar says if you want to get to know someone in Iran, you need more than just courage – you need a plan.
In the capital city, Tehransome take part in pain painwhich is the practice of driving around to get a phone number or flirt – think car windows rolled down during a traffic jam, eye contact and a quick exchange of notes or phone numbers before speeding off.
