The other quote that truly defines their relationship and the love Abdullah had for her was when she was going through the feathers and saw one particular one and said, "I don't know what this feather means, the story of it, but I know it means he was thinking of me" (419). This quote is very symbolic of their family ties because no matter how long they were apart, she was always on his mind. Abdullah and Pari definitely had one of the most meaningful relationships within the book. It is within their relationship that true family values can be learned.
The next relationship is between Parwana and Masooma, two sisters but one of which is handicapped. We immediately learn that Parwana is the caretaker for Masooma. It is evident that Masooma feels guilty and feels that she is trapping Parwana from leading a normal life because she has to take care of her so much, and she even states to Parwana, "You deserve better than me" (56). The novel then takes us back into their childhood together and describes how glorious Masooma's birth was and describes Parwana as agonizing for birth. Next described is how Masooma was passed around and idolized by all of their family while Parwana was left on her mother's lap. From the time the twins were born, everyone in the family was all about Masooma, and this caused a lot of jealousy for Parwana. In one instance, the girls were walking back from school and found that some boys were throwing pebbles at them. Parwana then became angry because they were only throwing them at Masooma. The story then takes us to a time when they were seventeen, playing around on the tall oak tree. While sitting on the branch, Parwana tried playing a joke on Masooma by shaking the branch, but backfired and ultimately caused Masooma her ability to walk. After the accident, the story fast forwards to Masooma's wish of going to Kabul. It is at this point that the true test of family ties is displayed in this relationship.