Season of the Rainbirds

PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS

MAULANA HAFEEZ

Aged cleric of one of the two mosques in the town.

MAULANA DAWOOD

Cleric of the other mosque.

JUDGE ANWAR

Powerful local figure.

ASGRI ANWAR

Judge Anwar’s wife and mother of his seven daughters.

AZHAR

Deputy Commissioner.

ELIZABETH MASSIH

Azhar’s Christian mistress.

BENJAMIN MASSIH

Roadsweeper. Elizabeth’s father.

MUJEEB ALI

Local landowner.

NABILA ALI

Mujeeb Ali’s wife and mother of his five daughters.

ARSHAD ALI

Mujeeb Ali’s youngest brother.

KALSUM

Widow receiving pension from Mujeeb Ali for death of son in political rally.

SURAYA

Kalsum’s sister on visit from Canada seeking divorce from husband Burkat.

YUSUF RAO

Lawyer and former political activist. Old university friend of Mr Kasmi.

MR KASMI

Retired schoolmaster.

ZÉBUN

Ex-courtesan. Mr Kasmi’s landlady.

ALICE

Zébun’s Christian servant girl.

ZAFRI

The butcher. Friend and confidant of Nabi, the barber.

MANSOOR

Close neighbour of Maulana Hafeez.

GUL-KALAM

Nightwatchman.

SAIF AZIZ

‘Metropolitan’ journalist and ex-political activist.