Tariq is a boy growing up near Laila in Kabul. He loses his leg to a landmine when he's very young and, through the support of his kind parents, never lets this disability slow him down. He and Laila are best friends as children and become lovers as teenagers. After being forced to flee to Pakistan with his parents, Tariq lands in prison for smuggling hashish. Despite the many trials he faces, he returns to Laila, proving himself loyal and loving in a way her husband, Rasheed, is not. Upon their reunion, he learns of his daughter Aziza, and after marrying Laila and moving her to Pakistan, Tariq takes care of Zalmai as if he was his own son. Like Laila, he shares her desire for justice and supports her decision to return to Kabul to help rebuild the city.
