The summer of 2000 is the worst year of the drought, but also one in which people in Kabul are obsessed with the movie Titanic, as smuggled, pirated copies infiltrate the city. After curfew, whenever there was electrical power, “everyone locked their doors, turned out the lights, turned down the volume, and reaped tears for Jack and Rose” (296). There is the fantasy that “Jack” will rescue everyone from disaster, but, as Laila says, “‘there is no Jack. Jack is not coming back. Jack is dead’” (297).

Rasheed’s shop burns down in a fire and they have to sell everything. Rasheed stays at home and is violent towards the women. He cannot hold down a job and “when the money ran out, hunger began to cast a pall over their lives” (298). Alleviating it becomes the crux of their existence. Zalmai gets the lion’s share of food. Laila worries that her children will die before her eyes. Mariam says that she will not let that happen.

Mariam goes to the Hotel Intercontinental with Rasheed and tries to get hold of Jalil, to see if he can lend them money, but he is dead.