“Are you mad? You are not going back!” shouted Banou when Warda came to Peshawar to tell her parents of her plans.
“Saifullah! You put some sense into her. It’s unsafe there, and we have found happiness here after going through hell. The Taliban are illiterate countryfolk, and though relatively peaceful, the country has gone back a hundred years.”
“Mother, people have sacrificed their lives to enable us to find this happiness. I have met the Taliban, and they have specifically asked for my help to restart Shireen’s school. Shireen wanted to educate and liberate the Afghan women. Still, she abandoned her life’s goal to rescue Father and save his life.” Warda remarked obediently.
Banou looked to Saifullah for support.
He cleared his throat and solemnly stated, “Warda, my dearest, I still love my country despite all the concerns and yearn to return. But as parents, we are very reluctant to let you go, considering the tough life people still face due to poverty and the strict rules applied by the Taliban, especially about women’s freedom.”
Saifullah then looked towards his wife and continued, “Banou, our daughter is someone’s wife as well. We have spoken to Warda; I will ask Tahir’s viewpoint and advise him against leaving his peaceful life. But in the end, their mutual decision takes precedence.”
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
****************************************************************************************************************************************
Tahir had already communicated the decision to arrive in Afghanistan to the Taliban spokesperson. Their former Taliban guards met them at the border and led them to a restored house near Shireen’s school; the house had enough helpers and maids to keep them comfortable.
The following day, an official delivered the couple’s advance salary payments.
Upon visiting her school, Warda discovered that, despite renovation efforts, it presented a neglected picture, and the structure had deteriorated compared to its condition in Shireen’s time. Carpenters, masons, electricians, and painters showed up to work the day after she contacted the Ministry of Education.
As Tahir watched his wife commit herself to teaching girls in kindergarten through sixth grade, he saw her improving each passing day.
Because the burqa masked their age and identity outside of school premises, older pupils who had to quit school because of the civil war and the subsequent limitation of women’s education by the Taliban also started attending.
There was enough space for these older pupils to continue their education, and Warda hired tutors who could teach them secondary school. Besides, given Warda’s reputation as an ex-partisan, the Taliban administration disregarded this practice.
The husband and wife dug in together to face the challenges of restoring a damaged nation as Tahir got busy repairing roads and bridges. Warda became pregnant the following year, and their love and respect for each other deepened.
She got used to her burqa, and her house became the social hub of the wives and daughters of Taliban leaders who respected and idealised her for her devotion to her cause.