Agha Shahid Ali is a poet who grows up in Srinagar speaking Kashmiri, English, and Urdu. After moving to the United States to pursue higher education, he establishes a career teaching literature at Hamilton College. He frequently hosts friends in his Brooklyn apartment, cooking Kashmiri dishes and discussing literature. He identifies strongly as a Kashmiri exile, drawing from Western, Hindu, and Muslim literary traditions to process his complex feelings about his homeland.

The unnamed speaker is an individual living far from their native Kashmir. Checking their mailbox, they find a four-by-six-inch postcard featuring a photograph of the Himalayas. They prefer neatness and order, yet struggle with the messy emotional reality of missing their home. They worry that distance and time will distort their memories, fading them like an overexposed photograph.

An older, prominent Indian ghazal singer. During Ali's university days in Delhi, she forms an intense, platonic connection with the young student. Through her musical expertise, she introduces him to the poetic potential of the Urdu language, leaving a permanent mark on his artistic development.

A well-known teacher and reformer living in India. He raises his son in a highly educated environment in Srinagar, providing a secular education while maintaining their identity as minority Shia Muslims in the region.

The grandmother of the poet. She holds the distinction of being the first Kashmiri Muslim woman to graduate school, establishing a lasting legacy of education and intellectualism within the family.

The mother of Agha Shahid Ali. She raises her son in a highly educated environment and shares a profound, lasting emotional connection with him that deeply impacts his life.

An American poet who serves as a major creative influence on Agha Shahid Ali. He shares a close personal friendship with Ali during the latter's time in the United States, representing the American literary tradition in Ali's social circle.

A novelist who forms a friendship with Agha Shahid Ali during their time in Brooklyn. He carefully observes his friend's evolving perspective on Kashmir and the impact of the region's conflicts on his poetry.

An unnamed individual living in or visiting Kashmir. They select a four-by-six-inch postcard featuring a photograph of the Himalayas and mail it abroad, triggering a wave of memories and nostalgia for the recipient.