Amal Unbound

Nasreen accuses Amal of scorching one of her fine silk garments while ironing, but Amal knows she handled it carefully. When Nabila taunts Amal about it, Amal realizes that Nabila was the culprit. Feeling helpless, Amal goes outside to calm down and sees Ghulam and Bilal. Ghulam worked for her grandfather as a child, and Bilal is surprised to hear that Amal’s family owns land. Bilal teases her about having to work for Jawad, which upsets Amal. Bilal urges her not to be so thin-skinned, or she will not fit in. He asks what she will do about Nabila, but Amal does not want a conflict. Ghulam and Bilal tell her to stand up for herself or people will take advantage of her. Amal knows they are right.

To Amal’s relief, Nasreen says she knows Amal did not damage the garment. Nasreen admires Amal’s choice of flowers, and they talk about gardening, which both Nasreen and Amal’s mother enjoy. When Nasreen was little she liked growing vegetables, finding “peace” in the process. Now, she does not garden because it would be unseemly for a lady of her station. Amal discovers the estate’s well-stocked library and finds a collection of poems by Hafiz. She knows she should not be in the library, but she secretly borrows the book, thinking it is a worse crime to have a library full of unread books.

Working in the kitchen with Nabila, Mumtaz, Bilal and Fatima, Amal learns that Jawad has fired another servant despite her needing the job. Nabila resents Fatima’s friendship with Amal, who gives Fatima a cookie in defiance of Nabila’s glare. Amal serves Nasreen and her visitor chai, daydreams about her secret book, and wonders what her family is doing at home, until the women’s conversation turns to a new literacy center. Nasreen’s friend declares that the lower class enjoys being illiterate. Amal remembers how hard she and her schoolmates worked for their education and waits for Nasreen to correct her friend, but Nasreen does not.

Amal enjoys visiting the library and has already read several volumes of poetry and a biography of Allam Iqbal. As she ponders what book to choose next, Jawad appears. He sees a book in her hand and accuses her of stealing them to sell and pay off her debt. Amal insists she is not stealing, she has just missed reading. Jawad is surprised to learn that Amal can read and write. His anger dissipates and he reminisces about his favorite book as a teenager. Jawad forgives Amal’s trespassing and does not punish her, but he bans her from the library. Amal is upset. Books are the only things helping her survive her new life. 

Fatima asks Amal to teach her to read but worries because her mother told her she was not very smart. Amal assures her she can learn easily and teaches Fatima the first letter of the Arabic alphabet. Nabila becomes friendly towards Amal and tells her that Fatima was “dumped” there at age six, an unwanted seventh daughter. Hamid is not Fatima’s real father but looks after her as if he were. Nabila herself was traded by her family for money to finance her older sister’s wedding. Her parents promised to repay Jawad, but instead borrowed more money. Nabila explains that Jawad is charging them room and board, adding on to their original family debt. They will never be able to pay it off. Amal is thunderstruck by the unfairness of the situation.

Memories of her family and friends make Amal homesick, and she regrets her actions in the market with Jawad. Nabila assures Amal her servitude will get “easier with time” (122). Nabila suggests that Amal try not to think about her old life too often, but instead look forward towards little things, like Nabila does, such as visiting her family and feeding the stray cat, Chotu. She tells Amal about a market down the street that even has books. They can visit when their work is done, and when they are not needed around the house. Amal is excited at the prospect of getting away from the estate for a little while.

Nasreen rewards Amal’s attentive help by giving Amal some time to herself. Telling Mumtaz she is going for a walk, Amal eagerly departs for the market. Instead of bustling vendor stalls, Amal discovers an abandoned village filled with boarded-up buildings. Amal realizes it is Hazarabad, the village Jawad destroyed. Amal returns to the estate and finds Jawad yelling at Nabila for helping Amal run away. Amal explains she was not running away, just going to the market—then realizes Nabila tricked her again. Jawad slaps Amal. Nasreen intervenes but Jawad insists he will punish Amal further.

Nasreen keeps Jawad from punishing Amal, but cautions Amal not to challenge him, and not to “forget her place” (130). Amal assures Nasreen it will not happen again. She is furious at Nabila. Fatima brings Amal some dinner and shows Amal her progress with writing the first letter of the alphabet, and Amal teaches her the next. Mumtaz brings Nabila to apologize. Nabila resents that she is no longer able to serve Nasreen, but Amal says the same thing will happen to her someday: neither of them have any control. Mumtaz advises Nabila to let go of her jealousy and Amal to release her anger, since they may have to live and work together forever.