Beretta (Tariq's gun)

Tariq acquires a Beretta semiautomatic pistol during the brutal factional fighting that engulfs Kabul in 1992, shortly after the Mujahideen turn their weapons on one another. He shows the gun to Laila one day as they sit beneath the pear tree in her yard, turning the magazine over in his hand. Laila immediately expresses her fear and dislike of firearms, saying "Guns scare me." Tariq responds by telling her about three sisters found raped and murdered in a house in Karteh-Seh, their rings bitten off their fingers, explaining that carrying the weapon makes him feel safer. When Laila asks if he has it in him to kill with it, Tariq says a thing both lovely and terrible: "For you. I'd kill with it for you, Laila." This declaration transforms the Beretta from a mere object of self-defense into a symbol of his devotion and his willingness to cross moral boundaries for her sake. The gun thus becomes a concrete embodiment of the violence that surrounds them and the desperate measures Tariq is prepared to take to protect the person he loves. It also marks a turning point in their relationship, as Laila, despite her fear, allows him to kiss her for the first time immediately after this exchange, suggesting that his protective ferocity is both alarming and deeply attractive. The Beretta is never fired in the narrative, but its presence lingers as a reminder of the constant threat of death and the extreme choices that love can compel in a time of war.