Anjum

Anjum is one of the novel’s two major female characters. Anjum is born Aftab, the name that their parents give her when they believe that she was born a boy. Anjum, who is born with genitals having aspects of both sexes, is a hermaphrodite or “hijra.”

When puberty strikes, Anjum leaves the house and moves into a house populated with other hijras. She remains there for more than 30 years, during which time she informally adopts a little girl, whom she names Zainab. After being caught in a massacre in Ahmedabad, Anjum decides to leave the house. At the age of 46, she moves into the cemetery where her father and his ancestors are buried. There, she establishes the Jannat Guest House.

Anjum is described as a tall woman who exaggerates her feminine qualities. She opts for sexual reassignment surgery with the intention of having her male genitalia removed...