Amal Unbound

Frustrated by her demanding little sisters and her detached Amma, Amal breaks the rules and goes to the market alone. At Shaukat’s busy produce store, Amal purchases a pomegranate as a rare treat to share with Seema and Omar. As Amal leaves the market, she is hit by a car. Her purchases are scattered in the road, and her hands bloodied. Neighbors and shoppers observe, but do not help her. A clean-shaven young stranger in dark sunglasses asks if she is okay. He holds her pomegranate and asks if he can purchase it from her. Amal is outraged that he thinks she can be bought after he just ran her down. She angrily tells him he cannot have the fruit, grabs it back from him, and walks away, ignoring his shout for her to stop. Amal runs home, worried about what just happened.

The next day, Fozia visits Amma but ignores Amal, causing Amal to anxiously wonder what village gossip is saying about her encounter at the store. Amal vows to follow her family’s rules from now on and works hard for the rest of the day until