Laila and Hakim's father-daughter relationship
Laila and Hakim's father-daughter relationship is the most stable and nurturing bond in her life, defined by mutual intellectual respect, gentle affection, and a shared dream of escape from war. Hakim, a small, delicate man with a bookish nature, is the primary source of emotional support and intellectual guidance for Laila, especially as her mother, Fariba, sinks into a grief-stricken depression after the death of her sons. Their bond is the emotional anchor that shapes Laila's values and her eventual decision to return to Afghanistan.
Identity and Intellectual Partnership
Hakim is a university-educated man who was fired from his job as a high school teacher by the communists shortly after the 1978 coup, and now works at Silo, Kabul's gigantic bread factory. Despite his menial labor, he remains a devoted intellectual, and he makes Laila's education his absolute priority. He tells her, "Marriage can wait, education cannot. You're a very, very bright girl. Truly, you are. You can be anything you want, Laila. I know this about you. And I also know that when this war is over, Afghanistan is going to need you as much as its men, maybe even more." This conviction drives their nightly study sessions, where he teaches her poetry, mathematics, and history, even after the war forces her to drop out of school. He is transformed when teaching, appearing taller and speaking from a calmer, deeper place, a stark contrast to his usual ineptitude with practical matters. Laila, in turn, is fiercely proud of his regard for her and determined to pursue her education as he did, earning the top-ranked student certificate for two years.
Life and Plot Trajectory: A Shared Dream of Escape
Hakim's love for Laila is expressed through his quiet, consistent presence and his dreams for their future. He is the one who remembers that Tariq has been gone for thirteen days, and he plans a day trip to Bamiyan to show Laila and Tariq the Buddhas, calling it a contribution to her education. On top of the Buddha, he shares his dream of leaving Afghanistan for Pakistan and then America, where they would open a small Afghan restaurant. He says, "I would find work, and, in a few years, when we had enough saved up, we'd open a little Afghan restaurant... And you, you would continue going to school, of course. You know how I feel about that." This dream is a direct expression of his love and his hope for Laila's future, but it is also a fantasy he knows they cannot pursue because Fariba refuses to leave. Laila understands that "Babi would never leave without her," even though Fariba is no longer a wife to him. This self-sacrifice is a defining feature of his character.
Key Actions and Objectives: Protecting Laila's Future
Hakim's primary objective is Laila's safety and education. When the streets become too dangerous, he takes over her schooling himself. When a bullet zips past Laila's head, it is the shock of this near-loss that finally shakes Fariba into agreeing to leave Kabul. Hakim immediately begins planning their departure, telling Laila, "She's agreed! We're leaving, Laila. All three of us. We're leaving Kabul." He is the one who gathers their belongings to sell, and he is the one who weeps while reciting Saib-e-Tabrizi's poem about Kabul, saying, "One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs, Or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls." His love for his city is profound, but his love for his daughter is greater.
Relationships and Conflict: The Burden of Grief
The central conflict in Hakim's life is his relationship with his wife, Fariba. After their sons Ahmad and Noor are killed, Fariba becomes a ghost, spending her days in bed and directing her grief and anger at Hakim. She accuses him of having no convictions and of letting their sons go to war "like they were a pair of haramis." Hakim endures her abuse with a sheepish, dazed look, waiting for the storm to pass. Laila sees that her mother "didn't understand that if she looked into a mirror, she would find the one unfailing conviction of his life looking right back at her." This conviction is his love for Fariba, which binds him to a life of quiet suffering. He is a man who has long surrendered, making him a "sad, pathetic opponent" to his wife, but his devotion to her is unwavering.
Change and Ending: The Shattering of the Bond
The rocket attack that destroys their home kills Hakim instantly. Laila's last memory of him is seeing his headless torso land nearby, the bridge tower printed on his T-shirt poking through thick fog and blood. His death is the final, devastating blow that leaves Laila utterly alone and vulnerable, forcing her into a marriage with Rasheed to survive. The loss of her father is a loss of her intellectual and emotional compass, and his dream of a life near the sea becomes a haunting reminder of what was stolen from her.
Narrative Role and Thematic Significance
Hakim serves as the embodiment of a progressive, educated, and gentle Afghanistan that is destroyed by decades of war. He is the antithesis of the violent, patriarchal figures like Rasheed and the warlords. His relationship with Laila demonstrates the power of a father's belief in his daughter's potential, a belief that ultimately inspires Laila to return to Kabul and become a teacher at the orphanage. His legacy is not in the books he left behind, but in the values he instilled in Laila, which she passes on to the next generation. He is the "one unfailing conviction" of his life, and that conviction—love for his family—is what Laila carries with her.
