Deven

Deven Sharma is the novel’s central character and protagonist. Though there are occasional detours into the perspectives, actions, and inner lives of other characters, the story unfolds mostly from his point of view. His age is never explicitly identified, but given both his relatively young family and his level of professional accomplishment, there is a sense that he is perhaps in his late thirties or early forties. He is a lover of the Urdu language, but feels as though he has to speak the more widely spoken Hindi language in order to make a living and provide for his family.

In general, Deven is portrayed as being intensely insecure, self-doubting and lacking in confidence. He is also portrayed as having a short, sharp temper, frequently erupting in anger at his wife as a means of finding some way to release his frustrations and insecurities. At the same...