Why did Baba never call Ali his friend?

• A. Because Ali was his cousin.
• B. Because Ali had left the country.
• C. Because Ali and Baba grew up together, but they have ethnic and religious differences, and Ali served as Baba's servant.
• D. Because Ali was younger.

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is how social hierarchy and ethnic differences shape relationships. Baba and Ali grew up together, but they are from different ethnic backgrounds—Baba is Pashtun and Ali is Hazara—and their roles in the household are unequal, with Ali serving as Baba’s household servant. In this society, friendship implies equality and mutual status, but the master–servant dynamic and the discrimination against Hazaras keep them in separate spheres. So, even with shared childhood memories, Baba cannot truly call Ali his friend because doing so would blur the clear social boundaries that define their lives. The other possibilities—being cousins, Ali leaving the country, or Ali being younger—don’t address those enduring social and ethnic barriers as directly.