CHAPTER SIX

Amir describes Kabul’s winters as a season of joy, freedom from school, and reconciliation with Baba through kites. He recalls annual rituals: first snowfall, shared games with Hassan, and the city’s passion for flying and running kites. He explains kite fighting’s fierce, ruleless nature and the hazards and honor of chasing fallen kites.

Amir and Hassan once built their own kites and glass-coated string but learned they were better fighters than makers. Baba began buying identical kites for both boys from Saifo, a famed kite maker, a gesture that stirs Amir’s wish to be favored. Amir stresses that Hassan is an extraordinary kite runner, guided by an unerring instinct for where a kite will fall.

In one chase, Amir taunts Hassan about loyalty—asking if he would eat dirt—only for Hassan to reaffirm his devotion and gently test Amir’s integrity. Moments later, Hassan proves his skill as the targeted kite drops perfectly into his arms, reinforcing his almost uncanny talent.

That winter, a larger-than-usual tournament is announced for Wazir Akbar Khan, drawing multiple districts. Days before the contest, Baba casually says he thinks Amir will win. This sparks Amir’s single-minded resolve: victory and securing the last fallen kite will finally earn Baba’s approval and end Amir’s sense of invisibility.

The night before the tournament, heavy snow falls. Amir and Hassan sit under the warm kursi, playing cards while Baba and Rahim Khan confer with guests, including Assef’s father, in the next room. Radio Kabul carries President Daoud Khan’s announcements. Hassan predicts Amir will make Baba proud; Amir echoes “Inshallah,” feeling both hope and impostor’s guilt. Amir closes with a foreboding line: in the winter of 1975, he saw Hassan run a kite for the last time.