“Isn’t it better, when he returns, for your father to find himself with a legitimate son [rather] than an illegitimate grandson?”

This quote is the last line of “An Incident in the Ghobashi Household.” Zeinat’s unmarried daughter, Ni’ma, has gotten pregnant. Zeinat’s husband is away for many months for work, so Zeinat will pretend that the baby is hers, rather than Ni’ma’s. She sends Ni’ma away to have the baby in secret and tells her to return in the night. When Ni’ma questions this plan, Zeinat explains that it is best to lie to Ghobashi because of the dishonor he would experience from knowing Ni’ma had an illegitimate child. Though Zeinat is willing to deceive her husband, her decision is rooted in good intentions. However, she must explain herself to Ni’ma, who doesn’t seem to understand the significance of what has happened. Zeinat must convince Ni’ma that her plan is the best solution to this predicament.