1. It happened on a Thursday.

It must have, because Mariam remembered that she had been

2. restless and preoccupied that day, the way she was only on Thursdays, the day when Jalil
visited her at the kolba.(5)
3. At the time, Mariam did not understand. She did not know what this word harami-bastard--meant Nor was she old enough to appreciate the injustice,(5)
4. "Better for you too, maybe. It would have spared you the grief of knowing that you are
what you are. But he was a coward, my father. He
5. didn't have the dil, the heart, for it."(7)
6. Didi? You see?(7)
7. To watch him drive his kinchini wives around town all day?(8)
8. She saw musicians blowing the shahnai flute and banging on dohol drums, street children
hooting and giving chase.(9)
9. Then, a week before the wedding date, a jinn had entered Nana's body. This required no
description to Mariam. She had witnessed it enough times with her own eyes: Nana
collapsing suddenly, her body tightening, becoming rigid, her eyes rolling back, her arms
and legs shaking as if something were throttling her from the inside, the froth at the
corners of her mouth, white, sometimes pink with blood. Then the drowsiness, the
frightening disorientation, the incoherent mumbling. (9
10. : shalqam stew with turnip, spinach sabzi, cauliflower with ginger.(12)
11. Mariam the five daily namaz prayers(12)
12. It was Mullah Faizullah who had held her hand, guided the pencil in it along the rise of
each alef, the curve of each beh, the three dots of each seh.(12)
13. Allah on one half, Akbar on the other.(13)
14. : tahamul. Endure(14)
15. wore her best hijab for him.(15)
16. mashallah? Ten?(16)
17. Nay. I want you to take me.(18)
18. mule drawn garis(21)
19. striped chapan(22)
20. "There. Looks like you're in luck, dokhiarjo. That's his car."(22)
21. "This is enough. You've made a scene. Bas. It's time to go."(24)
22. Matryoshka dolls(27)
23. Except for "when she had to use the bathroom down the hall, Mariam stayed in the room.
The girl with the tattoo, the one who had opened the gates to her, brought her meals on a
tray: lamb kebab, sabzi, aush soup. Most of it went uneaten. Jalil came by several times a
day, sat on the bed beside her, asked her if she was all right. (27)
24. You taught me every surrah and ayat in the Koran years ago(29)
25. No, na fahmidi, you don't understand(30)
26. A khasiegar. A suitor. His name is Rasheed(31)
27. Mariam smelled him before she saw him. Cigarette smoke and thick, sweet cologne, not
faint like Jalil's. The scent of it flooded Mariam's nostrils. Through the veil, from the corner
of her eye, Mariam saw a tall man, thick bellied and broad shouldered, stooping in the
doorway. The size of him almost made her gasp, and she had to drop her gaze, her heart
hammering away. She sensed him lingering in the doorway. Then his slow, heavy footed

movement across the room. The candy bowl on the table clinked in tune with his steps.
With a thick grunt, he dropped on a chair beside her. He breathed noisily. The mullah
welcomed them. He said this would not be a traditional nikka. (35)
28. There was a hallway, a living room downstairs, and a kitchen in which he showed her pot
and pans and a pressure cooker and a kerosene ishiop(39)
29. I'm sorry. Tashakor(41
30. Fahmidi? Is that understood?43
31. ."Salaam, Khala Jan."45
How old is he?
32. When Rasheed came home that night, he brought with him a brown paper bag. Mariam
was disappointed that he did not notice the clean windows, the swept floors, the missing
cobwebs. But he did look pleased that she had already set his dinner plate, on a
cleansofrah spread on the living room floor. (46)
33. She poured water for him from the afiawa to wash his hands with.46
34. They don't see that they're spoiling their own nang and namoos, their honor and pride.47
35. collaredpoosiincoats to passersby(49)
36. And at ifiar, when the sun dipped in the west and the cannon fired from the Shir Darwaza
mountain
37. Even after Mariam put the rice and the lamb and okra qurma in front of him, he wouldn't
touch it.
38. Fariba must have recognized her, walking in burqa beside Rasheed. She waved, and called
out, "Eidmubarak!"
39. All morning, Mariam cleaned lentils and moistened rice. She sliced eggplants for borani,
and cooked leeks and ground beef for aushak.(57)
40. But it did no good, all this fault laying, all these harangues of accusations bouncing in her
head. It was kojr, sacrilege, to think these thoughts. Allah was not spiteful.(61)
41. I'm sorry. Bebakhsh,62
42. "Chupko. Shut up." 64
43. "I made sabzi, " she said.65
44. and our watan will now 65
45. fellow hamwaians 66
46. inqilab, a revolution71
47. the awal numra certificate, given yearly to the top ranked student in each grade72
48. aroos, our daughter in law81
49. shokr-e-Khoda, thanks to God81
50. They lay on their stomachs in the middle of Tariq's room and took turns dealing for
panjpar(83)
51. I'll get the shorwa going(83
52. brown wool pakol on his head88
53. the day of the faiiha88
54. Babi had rented for the fatiha88
55. preparations for the khatm dinner that would take place after
56. . And now they're both shaheed, my boys, both martyrs90
57. Isn't that the truth, badar93

58. "Be careful," said Babi. "I will, Kakajan," Tariq's voice echoed back96

59. All around them, women bolted in and out of the kitchen, carried out bowls of qurma,
platters of masiawa, loaves of bread, and arranged it all on the sofrah spread on the
living room floor. 107
60. Tariq reached to sample a morsel of veal cooked with potatoes. "Ho bacha!" Giti slapped
the back of his hand107
61. "You look khila, like a half wit." 109
62. iofangdar too. Riflemen113
63. We'll come back to Kabul, inshallah. You'll see122
64. In no time, you'll benau socha. Good as new124
65. Khodaya. God126
66. Oh, iashakor.127
67. Balay, that much was plain to see.129
68. kenarab, a shit hole
69. Sucking marrow from a bone, he said to the girl, "But you mustn't blame her. She is
quiet. A blessing, really, because, wallah, if a person hasn't got much to say she might as
well be stingy with words. We are city people, you and I, but she is dehati. A village girl.
Not even a village girl. No. She grew up in a kolba made of mud outside the village. Her
father put her there. Have you told her, Mariam, have you told her that you are
aharami1? Well, she is. But she is not without qualities, all things considered. You will
see for yourself, Laila jan. She is sturdy, for one thing, a good worker, and without
pretensions 136
70. Wah wah. But. But." He raised one greasy index finger. "One must take
certaincareswith a Benz. As a matter of respect for its beauty and craftsmanship, you see. Oh,
you must be thinking that I am crazy, diwana, with all this talk of automobiles. I am not
saying you are cars. I am merely making a point.136
71. queen, the malika,137
72. palacemalika and me adehati138
73. Put them in thealmari, not the closet138
74. After, Rasheed went upstairs to listen to his radio, and Laila helped Mariam clear the
sojrah. 139
75. my flower, my gul140
76. washing clothes outside in a big copper lagoon141
77. apahlawanl Like his father.141
78. dozd. A thieving whore,142
79. a iumban tied with a floppy143
80. Khosh shodi? Happy now?144
81. wafted the espandi smoke in her baby's direction to ward off evil.144
82. They're boys' clothes. For a bacha 144
83. Saratan (a summer month) 145
84. akknga, the cripple148\
85. cup of chai 150
86. I am nobody, don't you see? A dehatl 152
87. such a khar, such a donkey155
88. "Ona!"she cried, pointing to a group of little girls 155
89. boots, pakols 156

90. a biwa, she said, a widow.157

91. sawab, a good deed157
92. It's a matter of qanoon, hamshira, a matter of law,159
93. . Azan and crowing roosters signaled morning161
94. no risha, no roots164
95. Wallah, when they come164
96. Kharabat, Kabul's ancient music ghetto, was silenced. Musicians were beaten and
imprisoned, their rubabs tambouras, and harmoniums trampled upon. The Taliban went to
the grave of Tariq's favorite singer, Ahmad Zahir, and fired bullets into it. 168
97. set plates on the sojrah176
98. ruqats of morning prayer177
99. coated jelabi, rings sprinkled with powdered sugar183
100.
"Tashakor," Rasheed said. "I won't forget this." 183
101.
It's those savages, those wahshis190
102.
Whip-toting, naswar-chewing195
103.
From a toy kiosk, between a poosteen coat vendor and a fake flower stand,
Zalmai picked out a rubber basketball with yellow and blue swirls. 195
104.
Babaloo prayers with me214
105.
Tariq buys them spicy chapli kebabs from street vendors229
106.
The Taliban have announced that they won't relinquish bin Laden because he is
amehman, a guest, who has found sanctuary in Afghanistan and it is against
thePashiunwali code of ethics to turn over a guest. Tariq chuckles bitterly, and Laila
hears in his chuckle that he is revolted by this distortion of an honorable Pashtun
custom, this misrepresentation of his people's ways. 231
107.