- By Khaled Hosseini
Mariam Jo – this is about her.
Separated from her father (Jalil) and living with her mother in a place devoid of people, her only link to the world is the visit of her father every week. The anguish she has to endure, while waiting for that day in the week, under the wistful eyes of her mom who never fell short of words of discriminating her father and the torment she had to endure after he left and for the wait of another week, dreading he might not come and visit her… “She always held her breath as she watched him go. She held her breath and in her head counted seconds. She pretended that for every second she didn’t breathe, God would grant her another day with Jalil.” Things change with one broken promise and all the truth of her life is in front of her. Suddenly the accusations of her late mother and the false pretensions of her father fall down upon her. Living life in her father’s house as a burden to them, her life throws another whirlwind at her: an alliance (suitor) who was 20-25 years elder to her.
In twenty four hours after she heard about her proposal, she is in a new house, new place, far away from the comforts of her own house and from the familiar people in her father’s house, separated by mountains. She begins her journey as a wife to a person she knows nothing of, and her first step was a lie that she was unafraid of him, when she was petrified. Walking through the house, she looked at the things round her, trying to get a grip on the havoc that struck her. Slowly she begins her duties as wife and slowly she finds some kinship with her husband, Rasheed. Like a ray of hope, she becomes a pregnant and the couple dream of a family, she of mother hood and he, that of a prodigy. The agony she has to endure when that hope crashes, the brooding for a child she has never ever seen, and the pain that she has to bear for a consequence she has no say in, though the writer does not get into the gory details of her agonies, the narrative is heart touching.
Laila, a girl born to a different back ground. Her father was a teacher, who believed in equal justice between men and women and encouraged her to pursue education. Her child good friend, Tariq was an ex-service man, who lost his leg during the war. She grows up dreaming about some good she can do for the country. And nurturing her love towards her childhood sweetheart Tariq. Her two brothers fought against the Soviet in Afghanistan and were dead. When the war ended, and a civil war broke in the streets of Afghanistan, she was forced to discontinue her education. Tariq decides to leave Afghanistan and begs her hand in marriage and asks her to leave with him. She refuses on account of her parents, saying that she cannot leave, lest her parents should feel lonely. After a few days, her family too decides to leave Afghanistan and leave to a safer territory, when a stray rocket kills her family.
While recovering from her bruises, she notices herself in the company of Rasheed and Mariam. And just as fate has it, she hears that Tariq is dead in a hospital, by someone on the doorstep and she is queasy about the situation, knowing that she cannot hide the pregnancy from the world. Rasheed, meanwhile, makes advances towards her and she does not refuse, owing to the fact that she was pregnant. Though mariam does not approve of the situation and the advances Rasheed makes, she has little say in it. When Rasheed gets married to Laila, he starts treating her like a princess and with her pregnancy news, he clings on to the hope of having a baby boy. When Laila delivers a girl, he banishes all the pretence of love and treats her like a slave.
In the days that follow, Laila befriends Mariam and together, they try and escape to Pakistan. Unfortunately, they are caught and are sent back home, where Rasheed severely beats the two women and threatens to kill them if they ever repeat that again. A few years later, she becomes pregnant again and though she abhors the idea of bearing Rasheed’s child, she cannot bring herself for an abortion. This time she gives birth to a boy child and Rasheed takes complete control of the child, not giving a chance for Laila to bestow her motherly love onto the child. As a boon, Laila gets to know that Tariq is very much alive, by his presence in her house one morning and detests Rasheed even more for having lied to her. As days progress, visits of Tariq become frequent and the insecurities of Rasheed increase to the extent where he beats her and Mariam to death and the only option left for Mariam in order to save Laila was the most severe one and she, with all her might swings the shovel onto Rasheed and kills him. She begs Laila to leave, along with her children. After begging Mariam to accompany her and her denial, Laila leaves the house, to Tariq and they move to Kabul.
Mariam is jailed for her act and is publicly beheaded.
The story is written compassionately and just when the story is turning too melodramatic, the writer comes up with a compulsive narration, that takes one through a roller coaster of emotions. Though the writer does not go into the gruesome details of physical abuse, lives of Afghan woman or the politics of the time, he manages to convey a strong emotion that rips you apart.
A must read for all book lovers.
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