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We need to legitimize this situation,
he said now, balancing the ashtray on his belly. His lips scrunched up in a playful
pucker. People will talk. It looks dishonorable, an unmarried young woman living here. Its bad for my reputation. And
hers. And yours, I might add. ...
I...I dont want this,
Mariam said, numb with contempt and helplessness.
Its not your decision. Its hers and mine. Mariam
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Women are forced to marry
At this, Rasheed smiled sadly. There is another option, he said, scratching the sole of one foot
with the calloused heel of the other. She can leave. I wont stand in her way. But I suspect she wont get far. No food, no
water, not a rupiah in her pockets, bullets and rockets flying everywhere. How many days do you suppose shell last before
shes abducted, raped, or tossed into some roadside ditch with her throat slit? Or all three?
Laila
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Look, he said, sounding more conciliatory now, as a victor could afford to. I knew you wouldnt take this well. I dont really
blame you. But this is for the best. Youll see. Think of it this way, Mariam. Im 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. Havent you
noticed all the widows sleeping on the streets? They would kill for this chance.
In fact, this is. … Well, Id say this is
downright charitable of me. Laila
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Sucking marrow from a bone, he said to the girl, But you mustnt blame her. She is quiet. A blessing, really, because,
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wallah, if a person hasnt 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 a harami? 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. Ill say it this
way: If she were a car, she would be a Volga. ...
You, Rasheed said to the girl, you, on the other hand, would be a Benz. A brand new, first class, shiny Benz.
Wah wah. But. But. He raised one greasy index finger. One must
take certain…cares…with 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. Mariam
Women are treated unfairly in polygamy
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
namoos. That is the husbands burden. You let me worry about that. Please. 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. Wont you, Mariam?
And if you fancy something, I will get it for you. You see, that is the sort of
husband I am. All I ask in return, well, it is a simple thing. I ask that you avoid
leaving this house without my company. Thats all. Simple, no? If I am away and you need something urgently, I mean
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A. Kinds of Gender Discrimination absolutely need it and it cannot wait for me, then you can
send Mariam and she will go out and get it for you. Youve noticed a discrepancy, surely. Well, one does not drive a
Volga and a Benz in the same manner. That would be foolish, wouldnt it?
Oh, I also ask that when we are out together, that you wear a burqa. For your own protection, naturally. It is best.
So many lewd men in this town now. Such vile intentions, so eager to dishonor even a married woman. So. Thats all.
Mariam
Women‟s ways of dressing up are
restricted When they were out together, he walked alongside her, one hand
gripping her by the elbow. For Laila, being out in the streets had become an exercise in avoiding injury. Her eyes were still
adjusting to the limited, grid like visibility of the
burqa, her feet still stumbling over the hem. She walked in perpetual
fear of tripping and falling, of breaking an ankle stepping into a pothole.
Still, she found some comfort in the anonymity that the burqa provided. She wouldnt be recognized this way if
she ran into an old acquaintance of hers. She wouldnt have to watch the surprise in their eyes, or the pity or the glee, at how far
she had fallen, at how her lofty aspirations had been dashed. Laila
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He put down his pencil, laced his fingers together, and leaned forward the way parents do when they want to convey something
to a toddler. You do realize, hamshira, that it is a crime for a woman to run away.
We see a lot of it. Women traveling alone,
claiming their husbands have died. Sometimes theyre telling the truth, most times not. You can be imprisoned for running
away, I assume you understand that,
nay? Mariam and
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A. Kinds of Gender Discrimination Laila
