Dashtan came out of the room after getting dressed, while Rakia was still performing the bath ritual. Initially, he wanted to wait for her to finish but his mother came into his room while he was lying on the bed checking his cell phone. A knock on the door from her mother interrupted her.

“Where’s Rakia?” Mahira looked at her son while occasionally darting into the room as Dashtan stood in the doorway of the room he had half-opened.

“Taking a bath, why, Mom?” Dashtan looked at the woman curiously.

“Do you want to rest?” Mahira asked again.

“I was planning to take Rakia for an afternoon walk.” Her son...