Page 334 - Leadership in the Indian Army

"Did you srr and talk with him too?" Rasheed asked Zalmai.
Zalmai said nothing. Laila saw hesitation and uncertainty in his eyes

now, as if he had just realized that what he'd disclosed had turned out to

be far bigger than he'd thought.

"I asked you a question, boy."

Zalmai swallowed. His gaze kept shifting. "I was upstairs, playing with
Mariam."

"And your mother?"

Zalmai looked at Laila apologetically, on the verge of tears.

"It's all right, Zalmai," Laila said. "Tell the truth."

"She was…She was downstairs, talking to that man," he said in a thin

voice hardly louder than a whisper.

"I see," said Rasheed. "Teamwork."

* * *

As he was leaving, Tariq said, "I want to meet her. I want to see her."

"I'll arrange it," Laila said.

"Aziza. Aziza." He smiled, tasting the word. Whenever Rasheed uttered

her daughter's name, it came out sounding unwholesome to Laila, almost

vulgar.
"Aziza. It's lovely."

"So is she. You'll see."