Shaila is a middle-aged Indian widow and immigrant living in Canada. Following a tragic plane crash, she maintains a calm outward affect that stems from shock and medication rather than true composure. Her impartial self-awareness makes her journey of mourning complex, as she balances expectations from both her traditional Indian upbringing and Western secular society. She frequently observes the self-deceptions of those around her while struggling to forge a new path for herself.

Judith is a young, earnest Canadian government official assigned to assist the bereaved immigrants in organizing their affairs. She approaches her job with firm rationality and a belief in orderly grief management. While well-meaning, her reliance on formulas makes her somewhat blundering and blind to the spiritual complexities of the community she serves. She views mourning as a process to be controlled and categorized.

Kusum is Shaila's neighbor and friend who also loses most of her family in the tragedy. She is a straightforward character whose profound shock drives her toward traditional religious comforts. Her grief prompts her to consider returning to India to live in an ashram, highlighting her desire to distance herself physically and emotionally from her secular life in Canada. She struggles to accept the independent behavior of her one remaining child.

Dr. Ranganathan is an engineer, physicist, and fellow immigrant who loses his entire family in the crash. He balances an overtly scientific outlook with a subversive, latent spirituality, tossing roses into the ocean while proposing mathematical odds of survival. He attempts to manage his own sorrow by organizing others, maintaining a stubborn optimism.

Vikram is Shaila's husband, whose presence lingers strongly in her mind following the plane crash. Though physically absent, he remains a central figure in Shaila's internal life as she adjusts to her new reality. He occasionally visits her thoughts to offer instructions on how to proceed.

Vinod is Shaila and Vikram's older son. He is remembered by his mother as an exceptionally strong swimmer, a detail that briefly fuels her desperate hope for his survival after the plane goes down over the ocean.

Mithun is Shaila's younger son. His sudden loss, along with the rest of the immediate family, shatters his mother's world and forces her into a solitary new existence in Canada.

Pam is Kusum's independent daughter whose Westernized behavior creates friction with her traditional mother. She plans to move to Hollywood to open an exercise studio, fully embracing the secular lifestyle that her mother rejects. She survives the crash simply because she refused to visit her grandparents in India.

Mrs. Sharma is a heavily pregnant neighbor who gathers at Shaila's house to offer support following the tragedy. Her physical presence and her teenaged son ground the surreal mourning period in the mundane, ongoing reality of the neighborhood.