Page 99 - Leadership in the Indian Army

"Are you?"

His eyes shifted to her. "Why would I be angry?"

"I don't know, but ever since the baby-"

"Is that the kind of man you take me for, after everything I've done for

you?"

"No. Of course not."

"Then stop pestering me!"

"I'm sorry. Bebakhsh, Rasheed. I'm sorry."

He crushed out his cigarette and lit another. He turned up the volume

on the radio.

"I've been thinking, though," Mariam said, raising her voice so as to be
heard over the music.

Rasheed sighed again, more irritably this time, turned down the volume

once more. He rubbed his forehead wearily. "What now?"
"I've been thinking, that maybe we should have a proper burial For the
baby, I mean. Just us, a few prayers,

nothing more."

Mariam had been thinking about it for a while. She didn't want to forget
this baby. It didn't seem right, not to mark this loss in some way that

was permanent.

"What for? It's idiotic."