Atiq Shaukat
Atiq is the first character we meet in the novel, and his constant discontent and anger sets the tone for the rest of the book. He works as a jailer and so sees the effects of the Taliban regime on a daily basis. He is a supporter of the Taliban but is beginning to second-guess his feelings. His wife, Musarrat, is very sick, probably terminally. He is becoming a man of violence, and is certainly becoming immune to it. He finds himself constantly angry and abusive of others but cannot understand why.
Atiq falls in love at first sight with Zunaira and loves her more than life. He will literally do anything for her and unearths a passion within himself that he never realized was there. He is driven almost mad by his longing for her, and this ultimately leads to his death, when, unable to find her, he begins to randomly rip the veils from the faces of women in the street, and is beaten to death for it.
Musarrat Shaukat
Musarrat is Atiq's wife and is so sick that he has forgotten how to love her; he feels only resentment at having to take care of her. Musarrat nonetheless loves her husband and when she realizes that he has fallen in love with someone else, devises a plan that will let him escape with his new love. She knows that she is dying anyway and sacrifices herself by waiting to be executed in Zunaira's place. She is a selfless and loving woman who is far nicer to her husband than he deserves.
Mohsen Rammat
Mohsen is against the Taliban although he does not make this position public. He, too, has become immune to the violence that goes on around him and one day, on seeing a prostitute being stoned to death in the market square, picks up a rock and throws it, joining in her execution. He doesn't know why he has done this and once his adrenalin subsides is ashamed. His wife, Zunaira, is beautiful. They used to have an easy marriage but the negative changes that Taliban rule has imposed on them are starting to take their toll on their relationship. Mohsen wants a simple existence with the woman he loves and tries to be romantic but cannot seem to be.
Mohsen is becoming less able to control his temper and strikes his wife during an argument. He is killed when he trips and hits his head on the wall, breaking his neck. His wife is blamed for his death.
Zunaira Rammat
There is a breathtaking beauty about Zunaira, although now that she is forced to wear a burqa by the oppressive Taliban regime, nobody really gets to see it anymore. She hates the new regime and the changes it has made to her life. Zunaira used to be a teacher but is not allowed to teach anymore. She hates wearing the burqa. She hates that she is not allowed to hold her husband's hand in public, and we see an example of the oppression as she walks with her husband and is hit in the face for speaking in public.
Zunaira is found guilty of her husband's murder despite the fact that she was defending herself.
Qassim
Qassim used to live in Kabul as a child but left and has not seen his family for years. He is an old war buddy of Afiq's. He is a party line man when it comes to politics and he has no respect for women, whom he considers calculating and full of dishonesty. He believes that it is irrelevant if a woman is killed or beaten because women feel no pain and therefore the pain inflicted on them doesn't matter.
