And the Mountains Echoed

The story moves has moved back to Shadbagh-e-Nau at the installation of a new school for girls. Adel's father, Baba- jan (Commander Sahib), is thanked and called a great man to Adel. As Adel's father makes his speech, he is met with a lot of applause, asking for the young girls of Afghanistan to excel in their studies, to nurture Afghanistan back to health.

Commander Sahib's time as a soldier was spent in Jihad, fighting the Russians. Sahib's father had started the improvement of Shadbagh by opening a clinic, but now Commander Sahib financesd a lot of these projects right from his own pocket.

An old man with a young boy, both filthy, approach Kabir, the bodyguard, wishing to speak with Baba-jan but he is turned away. They drive back to the compound where Adel and his parents live; it is surrounded by high walls topped with coiled barbed wire. It is located in Shadbagh-e-Kohna (Old Shadbagh). Adel is sad that his father has to leave for two weeks on business. His father explains that the work he does is to help the people of Shadbagh and that without his work, they would suffer. This father and son love each other very much, and despite Baba-jan reassuring Adel that he would sacrifice all that they have for Adel, Adel still longs for his father to be around more.