He drives aimlessly round the streets of Kabul with a burka in the back seat. He has no book, and anyhow at home are his grandmother and all his aunts. It makes him nervous and excited to be so close to someone unknown. In a moment of boldness, he asks to see her face. She sits for a few seconds, absolutely stiff, then lifts up the front piece of the burka and holds his gaze in the mirror. (Seierstad, 2008, p. 121)

Mansur is very bold indeed to even ask the young lady to lift her burka to reveal her face but does so, as he, like his father must exert his power over the young girl in order to gain what he wants. Mansur fantasises about potentially having a relationship with this young lady and escaping his monotonous life that his father has dictated for him. Mansur also finds through this situation that there are