Laila and Mariam- The Thousand Splendid Suns

Today let me discuss about these wonderful women called Laila and Mariam, from 'A Thousand Splendid Suns' by Khaled Hosseini.
Mariam, was married to Rasheed who was of the age 38, while she was just 16. Even tough in the beginning days he shows some affection towards her, after series of miscarriages he treats her like animal.

Laila was a kid Mariam has seen in her neighborhood when Mariam was newly married to Rasheed. But after 22 years life takes a turn when Rasheed at the age of 60 marries Laila.

Mariam was illegal child of a rich person Jalil. She was born and brought up for 15 years in a small hut above hill cut out from rest of the world. Her mother constantly scaring her not to go down, as people may throw stone on her saying 'Harami'. At her 15 birthday for the first time she goes down to see her father and that day her mother commits suicide. Her father to get rid of Mariam marries her off to Rasheed.

Laila's father is very well educated person. He gives good education to Laila. She looses her brothers in war. With mother not feeling well she is the only person left in her father's life. Unlike Mariam, Laila lives very peaceful childhood where Tariq was her best friend. As years pass by love blossoms between Tariq and Laila. As Afganistan faces war after war Tariq's parents decide to leave their country. Tariq begs Laila to marry him. But Laila can't leave her dad alone. On that last day Laila and Tariq sleep together.

After 15 days Laila looses her parents in a bomb blast and luckily she will be saved by Rasheed. Rasheed has seen Laila and Tariq. He will be knowing that they both like each other. So he pays one of his friend to inform Laila that Tariq is dead. By that time Laila will be pregnant and she accepts Rasheed's marriage proposal without any other way out.

Before Mariam's mother's death her father Jalil visits her every Thursday and Mariam spends whole week to prepare for that one day. She loves Jalil like anything. After her mother's death she understand the real face of Jalil. She never speaks to him after her mother's death till the date of her marriage. After her marriage she asks him never to meet her in future.

Relationship between Mariam and Laila will be bad in the beginning, but as time passes they become very close. Mariam treats Laila like her own daughter.

Laila becomes mother of two kids. First girl Aziza(Tariq's daughter) was treated badly by Rasheed as she is a girl. Taliban rule starts. Rasheed looses job. He forces Laila to leave Aziza in a orphanage. Every day Laila goes to orphanage. It is not so easy in Taliban rule. Women are not allowed to go alone. If she is caught, officers will beat her there itself. But it becomes like a goal in Laila's life. If is caught somewhere she will stop until they beat her. Next she will find some other way to orphanage. All this to spend few hours with her daughter.

One day Tariq comes back.........................(I felt so happy when I was reading this part)

Story ends with Mariam killing Rasheed and forcing Laila and Tariq to go to some other country with children. Mariam will be executed in public.