Cameron
Cameron is the protagonist and the unofficial leader of the trapped group in the basement. Cameron and a group of people were at the Indian consulate when the earthquake struck, forcing the building to collapse. Lackey Cameron and other people were in the basement and were lucky to survive. However, they must be rescued after some time if they will have to survive in the end.
Cameron is looking for a Visa to travel to India to reunite with Seva, a young woman at the orphanage he once sponsored to aid her in achieving her educational goals. Cameron reflects on the many bad things he has done in the army and wants to reconcile with whomever he has wronged. Going to India is one of the best ways to help him reflect on how he can become a good man.
Tariq
Tariq is a youth Muslim born and raised in the United States of America. Tariq has become one of the predominant critics of American culture and the US government. Tariq has a radical Muslim girlfriend and other friends who have influenced his thinking. Tariq is courageous, and he can question anybody he does not agree with. For instance, while stuck in the basement with the rest of the group, Tariq questions his authority to lead the group.
Uma
Uma is a university graduate and one of the people stuck in the basement of the consulate after the earthquake. After seeing the disagreements between Cameron and Tariq, Uma suggests that it could be better for people to tell stories about their lives to keep them busy. The storytelling episode becomes a revelation for the group to realize that they are all the same regardless of their backgrounds and their life challenges. Uma has come to seek a visa to travel to India to visit her family.
Jiang
Jiang was raised in Chinatown, where she fell in affection with an Indian guy. Later, political instability in India forced Jiang to relocate to the United States of America, and she got married to a Chinese man. Jian is in the basement with other people because she wants to visit India to catch up with her friends. However, she is now an older woman, but she hopes that people in India will still recognize her.
Mr. Pritchett
Mr. Pritchett fell in love with numbers when he was young, and now he is an accomplished accountant. Mr. Pritchett remembers how he was raised in a poor background, but his love for numbers elevated him from poverty. He is having problems with his wife in the United States, and he believes that a trip to India can help them refresh their love and be lively again.
Malathi
Malathi is working at the Indian Consulate, and she narrates her story of how she landed in America. According to Malathi, she was a salon employee in India, but she messed with her boss and was sent to America. Luckily, she does not regret migrating to America because she is now working at the consulate. However, she is among the many people trapped in the basement, and she hopes the rescue team will arrive in time to save them.
Lily
Lily is the grandchild of Jiang, and she lives with her brother. Lily has lived under the influence of her brother, who researches cancer. Lily also struggles to find her purpose in life, realizing she is good at playing the flute. Lily wins several concerts where she plays her flute to entertain guests. Paradoxically, Lily discovers that her brother has been doing badly in his university exams.
Mr. Mangalam
Mr. Mangalam is a worker at the Indian Consulate. He was initially married to a wealthy family but later realized his marriage was failing after he started an affair with a younger woman. His wife's family members were mad at him and sent him to work at the consulate.
Mrs. Pritchett
Mrs. Pritchett feels sorry for herself because she does not have children. Mrs. Pritchett feels empty because she has not given her husband children, which makes her sad. She has attempted suicide several times without success. She wants to go to India with her husband to start life afresh; hoping things will change for the better.
