Tariq:
"Boys, Laila came to see, treated friendship the way they treated the sun: its existence undisputed; it's radiance best enjoyed, not beheld directly" (133).
Tariq, Laila’s childhood friend, serves a contrast to Rasheed and disproves Nana’s statement that all men abuse women. He treats her as an equal instead of forcing her to bend to his will. As a child, his family offers Laila the security and affection missing in her own, and his parents demonstrate a strong, equal marriage. As teenagers, they fall in love, and Tariq continues to protect her, even buying a gun as the political environment becomes unstable. The war separates them as he is forced to leave Afganistan to save his parents; although he begs her to marry him, Laila is equally bound to stay for Babi’s sake. Later tales of Tariq’s death determine the course of Laila’s life. The comparison between Tariq's treatment of her and Rasheed's furthur convinces Laila to stand up to Rasheed's abuse.
Tariq, Laila’s childhood friend, serves a contrast to Rasheed and disproves Nana’s statement that all men abuse women. He treats her as an equal instead of forcing her to bend to his will. As a child, his family offers Laila the security and affection missing in her own, and his parents demonstrate a strong, equal marriage. As teenagers, they fall in love, and Tariq continues to protect her, even buying a gun as the political environment becomes unstable. The war separates them as he is forced to leave Afganistan to save his parents; although he begs her to marry him, Laila is equally bound to stay for Babi’s sake. Later tales of Tariq’s death determine the course of Laila’s life. The comparison between Tariq's treatment of her and Rasheed's furthur convinces Laila to stand up to Rasheed's abuse.