Pasha
This young protagonist goes from disinterested about politics to being involved in a SAVAK hit on his good friend and mentor, Doctor. In the aftermath, his sanity is questioned. Either, Zari set herself on fire, and he went to the psyche ward for his state of absolute shock and panic, or else, he went insane beforehand, wrongly believing Zari set herself on fire, later to discover that she is Soraya in disguise.
Ahmed
Ahmed is Pasha's best friend and foil. Ahmed helps find ways for Pasha to be with Zari, and often they all end up chilling out on the rooftops where they can escape the drama of their daily lives. Ahmed likes Faheemah and ends up marrying her.
Zari
This girl next door is Pasha's crush, and although she is betrothed to Doctor, she still can't help but like Pasha. They spend a lot of time together, and it seems that they will end up together after all, especially after Doctor is killed by the government, but Zari turns to public mourning instead, setting herself ablaze in a protest, honoring Doctor's wrongful death.
Faheemah
Although in the end, fate separates Zari and Pasha, Ahmed ends up marrying his sweetheart, Faheemah. Faheemah and Ahmed often double date with Zari and Pasha.
Doctor
Doctor is a little older than Pasha. He is already in university, but he still hangs out with the Pasha who views him like a mentor. Doctor is a great guy, but Pasha is in love with Zari, his fiancee. Doctor is a political opponent of the tyrannical regime.
Soraya
After Zari's death, Pasha becomes convinced that he has seen her around town. He is also dating Soraya, more or less, a new love interest. These delusions continue until finally he becomes convinced that Soraya is secretly Zari in disguise. She says yes when he asks her, so the reader can't be sure if Soraya is Zari somehow, or whether (more likely) Soraya is just unsure how to treat Pasha, who might be going insane.
