By the morning of the wedding, Mohammad Azim had grown more anxious.
A few months earlier, he had agreed to marry his 28-year-old son, Mohammad Ullah, to a bride from a neighbouring village. He had committed a princely sum of 300,000 afghanis ($3,300) for a tent, generator and food. He had settled on a date, August 14, and informed relatives and friends as well as his fellow villagers. Now the appointed day had arrived, and the 55-year-old father with grey eyes to match his long beard felt he had to proceed.
