# Chapter 26 Summary: Reshmina Under the Burqa
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary Reshmina races back up the village steps, taking them two at a time, hoping she isn’t too late. She bursts into her home and finds two armed Afghan men sitting just inside the door. Startled, she learns from Marzia and her mother that the village sent these guards to protect the family and the wounded American, Taz. Reshmina quickly reports that Pasoon has told the Taliban about the American’s presence. The guards react with shock, and Anaa, holding baby Zahir, orders them to warn the rest of the village and tell everyone to find safety. One guard asks where safety could possibly be. Reshmina grabs her mother’s arm and proposes they take everything and flee permanently to Kabul. Her mother dismisses the idea, pointing out the distance—three hundred kilometers—and the impossibility of walking there and back. Reshmina clarifies she means never returning, but her mother rejects the plan, saying they have no land or home in Kabul. Reshmina turns to Anaa, hoping her grandmother has relatives there, but Anaa dismisses the idea too, saying they need an immediate solution because many people are in danger. Frustrated, Reshmina realizes running away won’t save the whole village. Then she remembers playing hide-and-seek with Pasoon as a child and suggests hiding in the caves beneath the village. One guard stays to watch Taz while the other goes to spread the word. Mor and Marzia begin gathering belongings, and Reshmina follows Anaa and Zahir into the women’s room. Taz is still lying on the mat, asleep. Reshmina is relieved he’s alive but knows they must move quickly. She kneels beside him and wakes him, telling him the Taliban are coming. Taz jerks awake, still blind, and expresses anguish that he can’t see. Reshmina promises to lead him, telling him to follow her voice like before. Gunfire sounds in the distance—pakow, pakow—and the guard rushes in, urging them to go. The guard helps Taz to his feet, but Reshmina worries how they’ll hide him until they reach the caves. Anaa is already ahead of her, bringing an old blue burqa—a full-body garment with a mesh eye window, historically forced on women under Taliban rule. Anaa instructs the guard to put it on Taz. The burqa hides his head and shape, though it only reaches his ankles, leaving his American army boots visible. Reshmina hopes the Taliban won’t notice. The guard takes Taz’s elbow and leads him out; Reshmina, Marzia, Anaa, and Mor (carrying Zahir) follow. The village steps are already crowded with fleeing families carrying children, chickens, bundles of clothing, and treasured possessions. The family descends slowly, staying with Taz and the guard, as more villagers join the twisting switchback stairs. Suddenly, an explosion erupts at the hilltop—P-TOOM—and Reshmina freezes, seeing the orange glow of flames. Gunfire and cries follow; the Taliban have arrived. An Apache helicopter thunders overhead, and Taz recognizes the sound, exclaiming that it’s his people. Reshmina’s heart sinks—now the village is a war zone with both Taliban and Americans. Taz stops and suggests flagging down the helicopter to let them know where he is, but the helicopter’s machine gun erupts (PERRRT! PERRRRRRT!) and something explodes in the village. Reshmina tells him no, and Taz agrees, letting them hurry him along. Then Reshmina hears the familiar hiss of a missile streaking across the valley. Villagers duck, giving her a clear view as the missile slams into a house on the hillside and explodes. Reshmina cries out. Taz asks what happened, but she can’t answer—the rocket has just destroyed her home.
Key Events - Reshmina returns home to find village guards protecting her family and Taz. - She reveals Pasoon’s betrayal: he told the Taliban about the American. - Anaa sends guards to warn the village; Reshmina suggests fleeing to Kabul, but her mother and grandmother reject the idea. - Reshmina remembers the caves beneath the village and proposes hiding there. - The family prepares to move; Reshmina wakes the still-blind Taz. - Gunfire signals the Taliban’s approach; Anaa produces an old blue burqa to disguise Taz. - The family descends the switchback stairs with other fleeing villagers. - An explosion at the hilltop marks the Taliban’s arrival; an Apache helicopter passes overhead. - Taz wants to signal the helicopter, but machine-gun fire and explosions prevent it. - A missile strikes and destroys Reshmina’s home.
Character Development - Reshmina shows growing maturity and quick thinking. She moves from frustration at her elders’ refusal to leave to a practical solution (the caves) that could save the entire village. Her determination to lead Taz despite his blindness reinforces her role as a protector. - Anaa demonstrates pragmatic leadership. She immediately orders guards to warn the village, dismisses the Kabul plan as impractical, and produces the burqa to disguise Taz—showing she can adapt under pressure. - Taz remains vulnerable and dependent. His blindness forces him to rely on Reshmina and the guard, and his instinct to signal the Apache reveals his trust in his own side, even as the situation spirals into chaos. - Mor (Reshmina’s mother) represents the older generation’s attachment to home and land, rejecting the idea of permanent flight. Her resistance highlights the generational divide over how to respond to danger.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs - Civilian vulnerability: The chapter starkly shows how ordinary people become pawns in a war they didn’t choose. The villagers flee with chickens and bundles, while explosions and gunfire surround them. - Escape vs. staying: Reshmina’s desire to flee to Kabul clashes with her mother’s insistence on staying. The caves offer a middle ground—hiding rather than leaving—but the destruction of their home suggests that staying may not be safe either. - Disguise and identity: The burqa, a symbol of Taliban-imposed oppression, is repurposed to hide an American soldier. This ironic twist underscores how war forces people to adopt false identities for survival. - Leading the blind: Reshmina’s promise to lead Taz by voice echoes her earlier guidance and becomes a literal act of trust and courage. - Destruction of home: The missile strike on Reshmina’s house symbolizes the loss of stability and the personal cost of war. It’s a turning point that strips away the last semblance of normal life.
Why This Chapter Matters Chapter 26 is a pivotal escalation in Reshmina’s storyline. It transforms the conflict from a distant threat to an immediate, visceral reality. The Taliban’s arrival, the American helicopter’s fire, and the missile strike on her home force Reshmina and her family into a desperate flight for survival. The chapter also deepens the parallel between Reshmina’s world and Taz’s, as both are caught in the same war from opposite sides. The destruction of her home is a powerful emotional beat that raises the stakes for the rest of the novel, leaving readers wondering what will happen to the family and whether they’ll reach the caves in time.
Study Questions and Answers 1. Why does Reshmina’s mother reject the idea of moving to Kabul?
Reshmina’s mother argues that Kabul is three hundred kilometers away—too far to walk—and that they have no land or home there. She sees the village as their only source of livelihood and stability, so leaving permanently seems impossible to her. 2. How does Anaa’s use of the burqa reflect the chapter’s themes?
Anaa uses the burqa—a garment historically forced on women under Taliban rule—to disguise Taz, an American soldier. This ironic reversal highlights how war forces people to adopt false identities for survival. It also shows that even symbols of oppression can be repurposed in desperate times. 3. What is the significance of the missile destroying Reshmina’s home?
The missile strike symbolizes the personal cost of war and the loss of stability. It shatters the family’s last refuge and forces them to confront the reality that their home is no longer safe. This moment raises the emotional stakes and sets up the challenges they’ll face in the caves.