The Pearl That Broke Its Shell

Shekiba takes on most of the household chores, which pleases her aunts. She gradually learns how to navigate the society of this household’s women, how to avoid beatings, and who beats her hardest. Bobo Shahgul and one of her sons decide that Shekiba will help with the harvest—usually a man’s job. Shekiba is given the nickname “Shekiba-e-shola” due to her physical appearance.

Shekiba realizes that Bobo Shahgul wanted Ismail’s fertile land: That is the real reason why she had tried to summon him after so long. Shekiba’s old home is being taken apart. Shekiba begins to realize that she has better knowledge of farming than does her family. Despite the work she puts into farming, she still has to perform other household chores. One evening, Shekiba overhears a family meeting. Azizullah is losing patience with a debt the family holds to him. Bobo Shahgul proposes arranging a marriage between one of the family’s daughter’s and Azizullah’s son. The family thinks it will be an insult to Azizullah. Bobo Shahgul explains that Shekiba will be useful for them and that Azizullah’s son can find a better wife later—he is only 10 years old. 

Azizullah accepts Bobo Shahgul’s deal. She uses their parting to berate Shekiba one final time. Shekiba finally gives vent to her feelings: She spits at her grandmother and curses her. Her uncle Zalmai slaps her for this before leading her out of the compound. Having severed ties with her family, she deicides that if she finds herself all alone again, she will return to her family’s land and bury herself. Azizullah is a relatively wealthy man of commerce with a large property. He and Zalmai have tea, and then he asks to see Shekiba’s face. To her surprise, the “infamous monster was half-beautiful” (66). Zalmai attests that Shekiba is a hard worker, healthy, and will be a valuable member of the merchant’s household. Azizullah considers their debts forgiven.

Marjan, Azizullah’s wife, takes pity on Shekiba. She wonders how Shekiba will bear children with her narrow hips; this embarrasses Shekiba: She had never considered the possibility of children before. Marjan and Azizullah have four children: Fareed, the eldest; Maneeja, the youngest; and Haris and Jawad in between. Shekiba is to be Fareed’s bride. Shekiba soon feels at home in the household: It is “almost as if she was living with her siblings reincarnated” (69). However, she knows that she will never truly be a part of the family, because “she was Shekiba, the gift that could be given away as easily as it had been accepted” (69).

Like Shekiba, Rahima has to adjust to the changes in her new life. She has to overcome her instincts to flee from contact with other boys. Raisa advises her to stay out playing with the boys, and when they push, to push back. Arif stays home smoking his opium. One day in the courtyard, Rahima’s sister Rohila wonders what it would be like if their uncle Jamaal was their father. Shahla gets angry. Parwin tells her that she could not have another father without having another family all together. Rahima recalls how Rohila, though younger than Shahla, has to wear a bra. Rahima once tried on Rohila’s bra, realizing that she did not want to have to wear one.

Later that evening, while Arif snores in the living room, one of his friends appears at the gate. Rahima wakes Arif: She “was his son and allowed to wake him for important matters” (73). Abdul Khaliq is summoning his men. The Americans will be arming them against their enemies. Arif leaves at sunrise and is gone for two months. Rahima is proud of her father for fighting alongside the Americans, but her grandfather is suspicious of them.

Khala Shaima comes to visit. She wants to see how Rahima is doing as Rahim. Khala Shaima has been in bad health and it has prevented her from visiting. She is upset that Rahima’s other sisters have been prevented from attending school. Khala Shaima and Raisa get into an argument about Arif. Rahima’s aunt asks how she has been getting on as a boy. Rahima explains that she has been well, and that she even has a small job. When she says that she even met Abdul Khaliq, Khala Shaima and Raisa are upset: They want her to stay away from him. Arif’s mother visits. She and Khala Shaima have a terse relationship; the grandmother does not like her. Arif’s mother says that Arif’s brother, Obaid, is to be married to a second wife. After the grandmother leaves, Khala Shaima continues Shekiba’s story. 

Shekiba cooks dinner while Azizullah meets with his brother, Hafizullah. Haris, Shekiba’s favorite of Azizullah’s children, keeps her company. King Habibullah will be visiting Hafizullah’s house. Hafizullah is a friend of the king; because of this, “[p]eople in the village showed Azizullah deference, hoping they could curry favor with Hafizullah” (79). Hafizullah is planning a great feast for the king’s reception. The brothers are displeased current hakim, Sharifullah. Hafizullah sees this as an opportunity to take his position. Shekiba eavesdrops on their conversation.

Hafizullah asks his brother asks about how she is getting on in his house. Azizullah says that they marvel at her strength; sometimes they forget she is a woman. Shekiba realizes that Bobo Shahgul had been spreading many lies about her son in order to make the family look better. Shekiba wonders where the deed to her father’s land is; she feels it rightly belongs to her. Marjan surprises Shekiba; she returns to the kitchen. Shekiba wonders what would happen if she tried to claim her father’s land. She asks Marjan, who reaffirms that the land goes back to the family because Ismail had no living male heirs. Only males can inherit land. Shekiba thinks, “But I have always been my father’s daughter-son. My father hardly knew I was a girl” (84). Though her time in Azizullah’s house has been tolerable, she wants to make a life for herself.