A Thousand Splendid Suns Part 3

How does the story in part 3 begin?

Mariam and Rasheed are taking care of Laila after the bombing incident

"Until she's better. Look at her. She's in no shape to go. Poor thing."

Rasheed talking to Mariam about Laila

How has Laila changed after the bombing incident?

She couldn't sleep at all, she wept and grew agitated often, she threw up everything Mariam fed her, when she would eat

Who found Laila buried beneath the rubble?

Rasheed

"Lucky I was home...Lucky for you, I mean. I dug you out with my own hands. There was a scrap of metal this big. Sticking right out of your shoulder. It was really embedded in there. I thought I'd have to use a pair of pliers."

Rasheed talking to Laila

Besides Laila, what was another thing that Rasheed salvaged from the bombing incident?

A handful of Hakim's books

Who gave Laila the news that Tariq's house was occupied?

Rasheed

Who moved into Tariq's house?

It was a gift from one of Sayyaf's commanders to three of his men; they were actually boys with suntanned, youthful faces who spent the days playing cards and smoking by the front door; the brawny one with a self-satisfied demeanor was the leader, the youngest and the quietest was reluctant to embrace his friends' air of impunity and who always smiled when Mariam passed by

What happened to the three boys living in Tariq's house?

Rockets slammed into the house, rumored to have been fired by the Hazaras of Wahdat

"They had it coming."

Rasheed talking about the three boys that lived in Tariq's house

What did Mariam think about Laila?

She thought she was extraordinarily lucky to escape the bombing with relatively minor injuries

"I shouldn't even be here...My father wanted to take out the boxes. The books. He said they were too heavy for me. But I wouldn't let him. I was so eager. I should have been the one inside the house when it happened."

Laila

Why couldn't Mariam give Laila any advice when Laila confessed to her that she blames herself for her father's death?

Mariam remembered the day Nana died and how uncomfortable she had found Mullah's wisdom; she couldn't think of anything to say to ease Laila's burden because she knew that nothing would change the way she feels since she had been in her position before

A month after the bombing incident, who came to visit Laila?

Abdul Sharif

Who was "thin and small-headed with a bulbous nose pocked with the same cratered scars that pitted his cheeks, and hair, short and brown that stood on his scalp like needles in a pincushion"?

Abdul Sharif

What damage has happened to Laila physically due to the bombing incident?

She can't hear so well in her left ear

What is Abdul Sharif's story?

He owns clothing stores around Afghanistan and Pakistan and has a wife with three daughters in Peshawar;he recently came down with an illness that made him feel like he was stepping on chunks of broken glass; he went to the hospital with a burning fever yet shaking like a tree in the wind because he had blood poisoning; they put him in a reserved unit and that's where he met Tariq

What did Abdul Sharif say happened to Tariq that put him in a special unit for really sick people?

While crossing the border to Peshawar, he and 22 other refugees were caught in cross fire; only 6 survived and Tariq was the last to be discharged

How badly was Tariq injured in the cross fire?

He lost his right leg, as well, had some internal body injuries, too, and was burned really badly

"But, mostly, he talked about you, hamshira. He said you were, how did he put it, his earliest memory...I could tell he cared a great deal about you...But he said he was glad you weren't there. He said he didn't want you seeing him like that."

Abdul Sharif talking to Laila about Tariq

"When I told him I was going back to Kabul, he asked me to find you. To tell you that he was thinking of you. That he missed you."

Abdul Sharif talking to Laila about Tariq

"In the morning, the bed was empty. I asked a nurse. She said he fought valiantly."

Abdul Sharif talking to Laila about Tariq

"At first, you see, at first I didn't think you even existed...I thought it was the morphine talking. Maybe I even hoped you didn't exist; I've always dreaded bearing bad news. But I promise him."

Abdul Sharif talking to Laila about Tariq

In short, what news did Abdul Sharif tell Laila?

That Tariq had died

What is Laila's reasoning for Abdul Sharif's terrible news?

She couldn't understand her mother's sorrow the day that a man told the news to her parents that her brothers had died, and now she has taken the role of her mother, while thinking that this was her punishment for being aloof to her mother's suffering that day

After she heard that Tariq was dead, where did Laila's mind wander off to?

It fled to a good, safe place where the barley fields were green, the water ran clear, Babi was reading a book beneath an acacia and Tariq was napping

"I'm so sorry...I know you were very close...friends...the two of you. Always together, since you were kids. It's a terrible thing, what's happened. Too many Afghan men are dying this way."

Rasheed talking to Laila about Tariq

How has Rasheed changed a little by having Laila staying with him and Mariam?

For years, he had eaten without looking up, without speaking, just silence, as though some judgement were being passed, then a click of the tongue or a one-word command for more bread or water; now he ate with a spoon instead of his hands, used a napkin, said please when asking for water and talked more often

"If you ask me, the Americans armed the wrong man in Hekmatyar...The Soviets are gone, but he still has the guns, and now he's turning them on innocent people like your parents. And he calls this jihad...What does jihad have to do with killing women and children?"

Rasheed talking to Laila

Why was Laila surprised when Rasheed said that the CIA should have armed Commander Massoud?

He used to rant against Massoud and how he was a traitor and a communist, but then Massoud was a Tajik, like Laila

"Now, there is a reasonable fellow. An honorable Afghan. A man genuinely interested in a peaceful resolution."

Rasheed talking to Laila about Commander Massoud

"What do they care that Pashtuns and Hazaras and Tajiks and Uzbeks are killing each other? How many Americans can even tell one from the other? Don't expect help from them, I say. Now that the Soviets have collapsed, we're no use to them. We served our purpose."

Rasheed talking to Laila

"You know, your father, God give him peace, your father and I used to have discussions like this. This was before you were born, of course. On and on we'd go about politics. About books too."

Rasheed talking to Laila

Why was there a tightly wound knot in Mariam's belly after Rasheed's conversation with Laila?

Mariam thinks that his blatant lies, his contrived empathy, and the fact that he had not raised a hand to her since he had saved Laila, was in order to charm or impress Laila because Rasheed was starting to develop feelings for Laila

When Mariam went to confront Rasheed about him and Laila's courtship, how did he react?

He didn't deny it or seemed surprised, but rather he was calm and simply asked her "why not?"

How old is Rasheed now and how has his physical appearance changed?

He was now 60 or more, Mariam didn't even know, and his hair had gone white, his eyelids and his cheeks sagged a bit more than they used to, and he had a swollen belly that entered the room before any other part of him did

What is Rasheed's excuse for wanting to marry Laila?

He tells Mariam that people will talk if Laila, an unmarried woman, lives with them and it will hurt his reputation, and hers, and Laila's

"Eighteen years...And I never asked you for a thing. Not one thing. I'm asking now."

Mariam talking to Rasheed

"She can't just stay here, if that's what you're suggesting. I can't go on feeding her and clothing her and giving her a place to sleep. I'm not the Red Cross, Mariam."

Rasheed talking about Laila

"I am too old. Too old for you to do this to me."

Mariam talking to Rasheed about making her one of his two wives

"She can leave. I won't stand in her way. But I suspect she won't get far. No food, no water, not a rupiah in her pockets, bullets and rockets flying everywhere. How many days do you suppose she'll last before she's abducted, raped, or tossed into some roadside ditch with her throat slit? Or all three?"

Rasheed talking to Mariam about Laila

"The roads out there are unforgiving, believe me. Bloodhounds and bandits at every turn. I wouldn't like her chances, not at all."

Rasheed talking to Mariam about Laila

"But this is for the best. You'll see. Think of it his way. I'm giving you help around the house and her a sanctuary. A home and a husband. These days, times being what they are, a woman needs a husband. Haven't you noticed all the widows sleeping on the streets? They would kill for this chance. In fact, this is...Well, I'd say this is downright charitable of me....The way I see it, I deserve a medal."

Rasheed talking to Mariam

How did Laila respond to Rasheed's request?

She quickly agreed

How did Rasheed pay for Laila's wedding band?

He traded Mariam's old wedding ring to get Laila's 22-karat gold band

"She doesn't care. Believe me. She won't even notice."

Rasheed talking to Laila about Mariam

"I don't want it...Not like this. You have to take it back."

Laila talking to Rasheed

Before Abdul Sharif's visit, and after, Laila had decided to leave for Pakistan because she wanted to detach herself from Afghanistan and all the bad memories. What changed her mind?

Leaving was no longer an option with her daily vomiting and the feeling that she might be pregnant with Tariq's baby

Why was she grateful for this baby?

It was the last link to the person that she had been before she had become alone, and now she had a part of Tariq still alive inside her

What was the first sacrifice Laila made as a mother?

Virtue

"God help me, I think I love you."

Rasheed talking to Laila

What had Laila done that night her and Rasheed slept together to make it seem like it was her first time?

She reached for the knife beneath the mattress and punctured her index finger, while letting it bleed on the sheets where they had lain together

In the opening of chapter 31, how does Mariam describe Laila?

"She was no more than a creaking bedspring, a patter of footsteps overhead. She was water splashing in the bathroom, or a teaspoon clinking against glass in the bedroom upstairs."

"Have I married a pair of statues?"

Rasheed talking to Laila and Mariam

"She is quiet. A blessing, really, because, 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...But she is not without qualities, all things considered. You will see for yourself. She is sturdy, for one thing, a good worker, and without pretensions....If she were a car, she would be a Volga."

Rasheed talking to Laila about Mariam

"You...you, on the other hand, would be a Benz. A brand-new, first-class, shiny Benz...One must take certain...cares...with a Benz. As a matter of respect for its beauty and craftsmanship, you see."

Rasheed talking to Laila

"No matter. The point is, I am your husband now, and it falls on me to guard not only your honor but ours, yes, our nang and names...As for you, you are the queen, the malika, and this house is your palace. Anything you need done you ask Mariam and she will do it for you."

Rasheed talking to Laila

"All I ask in return, well, it is a simple thing. I ask that you avoid leaving this house without my company...If I am away and you need something urgently, I mean absolutely need it and it cannot wait for me, then you can send Mariam and she will go out and get it for you."

Rasheed talking to Laila

"I should say that Mariam will be my eyes and ears when I am away."

Rasheed

"But you are still a young woman, and young women can make unfortunate choices. They can be prone to mischief. Anyway, Mariam will be accountable."

Rasheed talking to Laila

"The leaves are turning...Have you seen? Autumn is my favorite. I like the smell of it, when people burn leaves in their gardens. My mother, she liked springtime the best."

Laila talking to Mariam

"I won't be your servant...I won't...You can complain to him and he can slit my throat, but I won't do it."

Mariam talking to Laila

"And if you think you can use your looks to get rid of me, you're wrong. I was here first. I won't be thrown out. I won't have you cast me out."

Mariam talking to Laila

"Well, I wouldn't have...I wouldn't have fed you and washed you and nursed you if I'd known you were going to turn around and steal my husband."

Mariam talking to Laila

"I have no use for your company. I don't want it. What I want is to be alone. You will leave me be, and I will return the favor. That's how we will get on. Those are the rules."

Mariam talking to Laila

How did Rasheed's son pass away?

He drowned

Who is described as "crying drunk" the day his son died?

Rasheed

"You could have fired the noon cannon next to his ear and he wouldn't have batted an eyelash."

Wajma talking about Rasheed

"This is why the Holy Koran forbids sharab. Because it always falls on the sober to pay for the sins of the drunk."

Wajma

What did Rasheed do immediately after Laila told him she was pregnant?

He hopped on his bicycle and ran to a mosque to pray for a boy

What memory ran through Laila's head the day she told Rasheed she was pregnant?

She remembers a story told by Wajma at one of her Mammy's good day parties; the time when Rasheed was drunk while his son was drowning

"I'll go down and teach her a lesson. Who does she think she is, that harami, treating you-"

Rasheed talking to Laila about Mariam

"But don't worry...You're safe with me, my flower, my gulf. Anyone tries to harm you, I'll rip out their liver and makes them eat it."

Rasheed talking to Laila

How has life in western Kabul changed because of the war in the winter of 1992?

Fires raged and left buildings in ashes, embassies closed down, schools collapsed, the wounded were bleeding to death in hospital waiting rooms and in operating rooms limbs were being amputated without anesthesia

Since it was too cold to go outside during the winter of 1992, what did Laila do inside the house instead?

She helped Mariam clean and do chores around the house (sweeping, scrubbing walls, washing clothes) and when she wasn't doing chores, she was bored and just walked up and down the hallway until she ran into Mariam, ran into her room and watch the snow fall from her bedroom window; she felt lost, like a shipwreck survivor surrounded by miles and miles of water

What did the burqa provide Laila?

Although she was having difficulty walking with burqa and not stumbling over the hem, it gave her a sense of comfort in its anonymity because this way if she ran into an old acquaintance she wouldn't have to watch the surprise in their eyes when they saw how far she had fallen from her lofty aspirations

"Swelling so quickly...It's going to be a big boy. My son will be a pahlawan! Like his father."

Rasheed talking to Laila

What was the cause of Mariam and Laila's first true fight?

Laila had caught Mariam in the kitchen, a couple days earlier, slamming drawers shut because she couldn't find the wooden spoon she used to stir rice with. Laila had suggested that Mariam might of misplaced it, but Mariam took offense and accused Laila of hiding the spoon to aggravate her. Then, they were shouting and throwing pots at each other while exchanging terrible names.

"You're a sad, miserable woman."

Laila talking to Mariam

"Dirt on your head! Dirt on your head!"

Mariam talking to Laila

Immediately after her fight with Mariam, what special milestone did Laila encounter?

Her baby had kicked for the first time

What happened in the spring of 1993?

Laila had her baby

How has Rasheed's attitude changed before and after the baby was born?

Before the baby was born, Rasheed was anxious and overly attentive, he had one arm draped over Laila's belly and the other directing her across the yard while holding her hand. The next evening, Rasheed entered the house first and didn't stop the gate from hitting Laila in the face. His excitement was overshadowed by darkness, and didn't help Laila, who was holding the baby, open the door to get into the house.

"It's like someone is ramming a screwdriver into my ear...This crying. I can't stand it."

Rasheed talking about the baby

Rasheed suggested to put the crying baby outside so he wouldn't have to hear it. Why did Laila refuse to put the baby outside?

She was afraid the baby would catch pneumonia

"Sometimes, I swear, sometimes I want to put that thing in a box and let her float down Kabul River. Like baby Moses."

Rasheed

What did Laila name the baby?

Aziza, the Cherished One

What were Laila and Rasheed always fighting about?

The baby and its insistent crying, the smells, the toys that made Rasheed trip, Rasheed smoking near the baby and for not letting the baby sleep with them.

"That thing is a warlord. Hekmatyar. I'm telling you, Laila's given birth to Gulbuddin Hekmatyar."

Rasheed talking to Mariam about Aziza

What did Laila do every week, without fail, for Aziza to ward off evil?

She heated a black metal brazier over a flame, tossed a pinch of wild rue seeds in it, and wafted the expand smoke in her baby's direction

What did Mariam secretly think when watching Laila take care of Aziza?

She admired her and how her eyes shone with worship, even in the mornings when her face drooped from a night's worth of walking the baby, how she laughed when the baby passed gas, and how the tiniest changes in the baby enchanted her.

"Look! She's reaching for the rattle. How clever she is."

Laila talking about Aziza

How does Rasheed act towards Laila and Aziza?

He's impatient and isn't involved at all; he doesn't care about anything the baby does

How have Mariam's feelings towards Laila changed now that Rasheed doesn't view Laila as the queen anymore?

She expected Laila's fall from grace to please her, but it didn't, instead she found herself pitying Laila

"You should not get so attached."

Rasheed talking to Laila about the baby

What excuse does Rasheed give Laila for not getting attached to the baby? How does Laila respond?

Rasheed says that while listening the radio the other night, he heard the Voice of America say that in Afghanistan 1 out of 4 children will die before the age of 5. Before he finished speaking, Laila walked out of the room.

Why does Rasheed slap Mariam with a leather belt that night?

He blames Mariam for Laila disobeying him and denying him

What did Mariam's arms instinctively do first as he came on her with a belt?

They crossed over her chest because that was where he often struck her first

What happened after Rasheed slapped Mariam with a leather belt?

Laila lunged at him and grabbed both of Rasheed's hands to stop him from beating Mariam anymore

"You win. You win. Don't do this. Please, Rasheed, no beating! Please don't do this."

Laila talking to Rasheed