Taliban in Kabul.

- Window Seat-Udayan Thakkar

- 'Communist rule is a golden age for women in the history of Afghanistan. Two-thirds of university students are women. Women advocate ...

Khalid Hussaini's novel "A Thousand Splendid Sons" was published in 2002 and sold one million copies in just seven days. This story is relevant in the context of today's upheaval in Afghanistan. The author has dedicated the book to the women of Afghanistan.

There are two main female characters in the story, Mary and Laila. Miriam lived with her mother in Cuba, a short distance from the city of Herat. Five-year-old Maryam could not understand what her mother called 'bastard' work. Her parents were not married. When the mother became pregnant, Mary's father separated, saying, "You hugged me." Ma warns Maryam, 'The needle of the compass always turns north, just as the accusing finger of a man always turns female.' Even though Maryam wanted to go to school, the uneducated mother used to say, 'What is the use of polishing a spittoon? It's like learning in a female incarnation how to endure. ' The rich father visited once a week, gave gifts to Mary, and talked to Alkamalak. For Mary, the father was God, but when she arrived at her palace-like home, the father did not even allow her to enter. Knowing that Mary was gone, the lonely mother choked. What about Mary now? The father married 18-year-old Maryam to 4-year-old widower Rashid and drove six and a half km. Sent away to Kabul. Here the author asks: What is the fault of the 'bastard' child? He does not get family, love, or social acceptance because of his parents' actions.

Rashid was a gigantic and rude man. Arriving in Kabul, he lightened the texture and forced Maryam to wear a veil. Lacking the habit, Mary initially ate walking sticks. One day Miriam found a magazine with pictures of naked girls from Rashid's desk. She was confused: what is the use of taking such photos by young women? Prostrate naked? Rashid sees all this, and I have to stay in the burqa? Rashid used to insult him by saying 'Abudh Gamdiyan'. (We get the question: Don't fundamentalists allow women to study, move around freely, do jobs, and then laugh at 'Abudh'?)

Despite all these hardships, watching the fireworks with the lord on the night of Eid, Maryam thought, 'We can enjoy the beauty of the poor, we can be satisfied.' (Remember, 'Fidler on the Roof' movie: The father scolds the beggar for his daughter's hand, 'Ja re ja, you are just a tailor!' Maryam-Rashid learns that she is going to be a parent. Rashid started humming the song, while walking he started rubbing Maryam's abdomen, he brought an embroidered coat for his son, he started making a cradle. A rainbow appeared to Mary. Fetus Zaza did not survive the day. Rashid's temper became more irritable. And Mary?

The mere thought of an unfinished horse or embroidered coat made her suffer, the baby was alive, the hungry cries heard by Maryam, the sighs, the breaths of emptiness. She would be stunned by the pain of losing what she had never gained. '

The author has intertwined historical events with the story. The reader learns that Dawood Khan became the Prime Minister in the 19th century after seizing power from Raja Zahir Shah. A communist government was formed by assassinating Dawood Khan in 1918 and the Soviet Union invaded. Realizing that Maryam would not have children, Rashid started beating her. Under the pretext that the rice was not cooked well, he put pebbles in Mary's mouth and forced her to chew. Mary had two broken teeth.

Now Laila’s story begins. Her reformist father Hakim said, "Communist rule is a golden age for women in the history of Afghanistan. Two-thirds of university students are women. Women advocate, practice medicine, teach ... although all this is not to the liking of the tribes. ' Hakim once took Laila to see the Bamiyan Buddha. The taxi driver said, "The invaders were coming this way: Macedonian, Sasanian, Arab, Mongol, Soviet ... We Afghans are like crumbling walls: beaten, beaten, still standing."

In the 19th century, with the support of the United States, the Mujahideen drove the Soviet Union out of Afghanistan. People celebrated. The irony of the ritual was that animosity erupted between various groups that were staunch supporters of Islam. Pashtuns, Hazaras and Tajiks began looting and burning Ekmak. Hakim sighed, 'That's all these people know. When they were born, they had a bottle of milk in one hand and a gun in the other. ' Street dogs began to feel like human beings. Men used to kill their sister or wife who had been raped to save face. (Sometimes it seems that the author has not documented as much as he has documented.) Her parents were burned when a rocket landed on Laila's house. Rashid, 30, plotted to seduce 18-year-old Laila. "Maryam is a Volga car, and Laila a Benz," said Rashid, referring to both wives. It became common for Rashid to beat his wives like cattle. The Taliban, trained in Pakistan's madrassas, defeated the 13th Mujahideen. Rashid informed the wives that the Mujahideen were corrupt and bloodthirsty, while the Taliban were sincere servants. The Taliban's victory march in Kabul. People cheered. Distributed flags to the Taliban on which new laws were printed-

'You have to pray five times a day. If you do anything else during Namaz, you will be beaten. Men have to grow beards. The minimum length of the beard is a fist distance below the chin. Anyone who does not grow a beard will be beaten. Singing is forbidden. Dancing is forbidden. Playing chess is forbidden. Kite flying is prohibited. It is forbidden to write books, watch movies, draw pictures. If you steal, we will cut off the hand below the wrist. If you steal a second time, we will cut off your legs. We will imprison non-Muslims who worship as they see fit.

Decree for women:

You should always stay indoors. If you go out without keeping the male family together, you will be beaten. If you go out without a veil, you will be beaten severely. Cosmetics are forbidden. Jewelry is forbidden. Don't wear sleek clothes. Don't call it quits. Don’t get eye contact with men. Don't laugh in public. If you laugh, you will be beaten. If you paint your nails, you will cut off your finger. Girls are forbidden to go to school. Women should not work. If you commit adultery, we will kill you by throwing stones.

Remember, these are Taliban laws! '

This novel of four and a half hundred pages - we have paid homage to Arnav. The title of the book is "The Thousand Shining Suns," from a line about Kabul by the Persian poet Tabrizi. We sneeze at Ramesh Parekh's line, 'Even if the sun rises, it will turn black!'