This a review from a story I read few years back, called 'A Thousand Splendid Suns' by Khaled Hosseini. He is great author and I loved his books! I'm going to write his story from my fragment of my memory and some of my figments! p.s I feel inspired when I read other stories made my authors of FanFiction, hope i could be someone's aspiration…
I do not own this story. This story rightfully belong to Khaled Hosseini, i'm jus writing my own review…
Please send in your reviews, it could make me into a better writer and a better person. It will truly be my inspiration be it critic or phrase.. Once again, review it plz
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This story was set in Afghanistan talking about a girl named Mariam. Life of a women in Afghanistan is harsh and this story tells about the struggler of one women named Mariam. The relationship she had with her dad and her husband. Truly a remarkable story ...
Every street of Kabul is enthralling to the eye
Through the bazaars, caravans of Egypt pass
One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs
And the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls
Quoted from the book starting
Mariam was often called a Harami as she was an illegitimate child born to Jalil who has three wives and nine children. Jalil couldn't marry Mariam's mother as she was a lower caste. He was a wealthy and an influential man who owns a large cinema theatre. Despite Mariam being an illegitimate child, she was doted by her father. He visited her every thursday and taught her how to fish. He told her stories and teach her how to drawn an elephant within one stroke. On her fifteenth birthday, she asked her father to bring her to watch 'Pinocchio' in his theatre. She wanted to watch the movie that was often talked by her father and his other children had the privilege watching the movie in the theatre. Her father promised her that he will bring her. She waited on her doorstep waiting for his arrival. She rose up whenever she hear a vehicle passing by, she was fooled. Her father never return. Then a parcel came from Jalil's driver, it had some jewels and a doll. She was fuming mad, and threw way in anger. Her mother told her not to be complacent as she had to be grateful that she got a present as most men would not even take care of his illegitimate family. Her mother told her to get rid of false hopes. She was persistent that she had to watch that movie with her father.
She went to the town to see her father despite being warned and begged by her mother. Her mother threatened her that she would die if she stepped out of the house without her permission. If only Mariam knew, she wouldn't even take a single step outside. She went to her father's house, it was more like a mansion. She was greeted by an old man as a security guard who asked her hoarsely "what does she want?" She told him that she was Jalil's daughter. Upon hearing that she was his daughter, he opened the gate and let her in warmly. In the house, she was greeted by her step-brothers who looked at her like filth. She told him that she wanted to see her father, they told her curtly that he was out of town and motioned her to the gate. She was taken aback and said"I will wait." She looked up just in time to see her father looking at her. Her eyes widened and Jalil hid away. She proceeded to the gate and went out. She sat down staring intently at the second floor. Her face was washed with fresh tears that was streaming down. As vehicles pass by, they gave Mariam a curious look. She didn't mind the stares as her heart was pierced with intense pain of rejection by her own father. As the hours passed by, food was served to her by a servant. She left the food untouched.
Dusk was sipping in, and her step-brothers told her to return home and Jalil did not want to see her but she did not heed them. She sat there in the porch in the freezing night with chattered teeth. A blanket was passed to her, her pride didn't allowed her but the harsh weather overwhelmed her. Slowly her eyelids drooped and she slept. Dawn greeted her, and she rose up from the sound of the vehicle beside her. Her father was inside a sleek black car and asked her to get in. She got in obediently. Her father apologized her for leaving out alone in the cold dark night. Tears poured from her eyes, piercing her tanned skin. She thought her father was taking her to the movies but the car zoomed past the cinema hall and head towards her house. They reached her house and was greeted by a large mob, she was baffled and through the gap, she could see a women who hanged herself in a tree branch. Her heart skipped a bit and sensed something pushed through a crowd and her mother's eyes was bulged out and her tongue was hanging down. The whole world spun around her, and she screamed in agony and cried. Her father came over and held her.
The funeral rites were performed and Mariam was brought to live in Jalil's house as she had no relation apart from her mother. She gathered her things and slid in the car. They travelled in silence,the silence was often broke by Mariam's stifling. Mariam was greeted by her step-mother and upon the instruction of Jalil, she showed her room. Mariam was left alone and food was delivered to her by a servant. Again and again, she was not able to digest the part that her mother had died. She wanted badly to be a bad dream and hoped to wake up soon. She heard hush whispering of some women and they often peeped at her as if she was some kind of an animal. She wanted to end this turmoil.
Barely two days passed by, her step mother had arranged a marriage for her and that too with a 40 plus man .Her father didn't even utter a word to her as condolence after her mother's death. Her step mother stepped in and explained to her that she should grab this opportunity and this chance wouldn't come easily if she wasn't Jalil's daughter. She asked her Step mother whether she could speak to father and he came in shortly after her step mother had step out. She asked Jalil whether he would have married his other daughter as a second wife to a forty year old man. Jalil was speechless and tried to explain to Mariam, she would be happier there rather than here. Jalil left her alone. Mariam consent was not needed and she had no choice but to agree.
The marriage ceremony began, and there was laughter and joy everywhere. Aroma of pilaf and spices of curries wafted through the air. The decorations were grand as if to say a silent apology to his daughter. Mariam was adorned with jewelry and she was accompanied by her step-mothers and her sisters. After the consent of both spouse were taken, the dark red veil was between her husband and Mariam. Slowly, they pulled down the veil to reveal the bride to her bridegroom and vice versa. Mariam was greeted by a man who was smiling at her with his front teeth missing. He had a pot belly and he seemed nice. After the celebration, Jalil sent Mariam and her newly wedded husband Rasheed in the bus. Mariam didn't even look at her father's eyes despite knowing that her father was yearning for her to see him. She looked down controlling her tears from falling down. The bus started with a stifle and travelled through the rocky road.
Rasheed opened his house and Mariam helped him with the dowry that Jalil had given her. Rasheed showed her through the house and she saw a river through the window. She stared intently at the river, and tears surfaced in her eyes as it brought fond memories of her father and her fishing experience. Her train of thoughts were broken by Rasheed's harsh voice "Your father told me that you know how to fish, perhaps I could bring you sometime ?". Mariam looked at Rasheed and looked down. Rasheed showed her room and he went to his. Mariam wept all day. Rasheed walked past her room during the night and looked at her intently while smoking his cigar.
Rasheed was a shoe maker and left home early. Mariam woke up and washed herself up. Her heart felt heavy and was burning with intense pain. She lay in bed as she had no strength to get herself up because of the impending pain. Rasheed came home to find Mariam still in bed. He left her alone and during the night he paced through Mariam's door while smoking cigar. A week passed by…
Rasheed came into Mariam's room and pulled down her shalwar kameez. Before Mariam knew what was happening, his pot belly was moving up and down. Mariam tried to move away but Rasheed hands gripped her like an iron-vice. Tears streamed down her face. -
Mariam bare back was facing him while tears poured as if tracing her face. Rasheed lit up a cigar and told her that she should be fulfilling her duties as a wife from now onwards, as he had already given her enough time. He went back to his room and Mariam waited for dawn…
As days passed by, Mariam performed her duties. She cooked his favorite dishes and cleaned the house. Once while cleaning Rasheed's room, Mariam had surfaced upon some illicit magazine in his drawer. It had contain explicit pictures of women that made her shudder. After Rasheed's first wife death, he did not remarry after a long time. His first wife had jumped into a well along with his son and committed suicide as a source of revenge on Rasheed, while some say she was not sound. That reason had caused Rasheed not to remarry for a long time and Mariam able to understand his state as a lonely man put back the magazine and continued with her work. Mariam was pregnant and Rasheed was overwhelmed with tears and he doted upon Mariam. He was very sure that he is going to have a son. When Mariam was four months pregnant, she skidded on the river bank and caused her to have a miscarriage. Mariam and Rasheed were told by the doctor that Mariam wouldn't be having another child as Mariam womb was very weak. Rasheed was Angry and turned abusive whenever he got a chance. Mariam life was soon on rocky edges, they wouldn't be a day, that she wouldn't get lashing from Rasheed. No matter how carefully she cooks for him, he'll find fault in it and lash her for not fulfilling her duty as a wife. Mariam did not speak to her neighbors much as she feared that she would get more beating and kept to herself. While collecting water from the public well, she heard someone calling "Laila" and looked up to see a girl not more than 10 years smiling at her. Later in Mariam's life, show didn't knew that she was going to be thick and thin with Laila…
Laila's story coming up :D
Please review my story, ur comments 'll make into a better writer!