This pattern begins with his uncle and then with Mrs. Iqbal, a teacher at his boarding school who offers comfort to Firdaus when he cries. Firdaus soon becomes almost obsessive towards Mrs. Iqbal and it is obvious that he admires her greatly, saying that when he held Mrs. Iqbal's hand he felt "her body tremble with a deep, distant pleasure" (30), demonstrating that the abuse of Firdaus never happened. it didn't cause aversion to relationships or trusting people, but rather made her feel so insignificant that even a small amount of attention or tenderness from someone could make her feel adoration towards him. Shortly after her return from boarding school, Firdaus listens to her uncle and his wife talk about their plans to marry her off to an old man named Sheikh Mahmoud and, later, about her uncle raping his wife. The next morning, Firdaus attempts to escape her uncle's plans for her, but is frightened by the gaze of a man on the street and returns. This is the first of many escape attempts by Firdaus, and is the beginning of a general pattern. When she was married to Sheikh Mahmoud, a repugnant and violent man, Firdaus claims that every time, after touching her, she slipped into the bathroom and washed every part of her body "over and over again with soap and water". (46); this is desperate