Shiv Subramaniam
As the narrator, Subramaniam's personal bias colors all of the subsequent stories. He used to be a civil servant but has long since retired. Retelling tales from his time on the job, he regals the other patrons in the Fisherman's Rest, a local bar and old hangout. Subramaniam has no delusions about the more seedy sides of big city life. He falls in loved with a married woman in "Shanti," braving the complicated moral terrain of that relationship in order to finally marry her.
Major Antia
Wounded in battle, Antia amputated his own leg. He struggles with phantom pains and returns home to recover from the trauma. Back in his childhood home, he encounters the ghost of his brother, Soli, who died by accident as a child. Antia is forced to reconcile with his own guilt for his brother's death. His story is called "Dharma."
Shiela Bijlani & Dolly Boatwalla
These two women, in "Shakti," belong to the nouveau-riche upper class. They are both intent upon preserving their family reputations at all costs, which includes feuding between one another. Recognizing the recent rise to wealth of the opposite family, they remain in contention as rivals. They even prohibit their children from marrying, although, in the end, they both lose that struggle.
Roxanne & Sanjeev
These are Shilea and Dolly's children. Falling in love, they survive a Romeo & Juliet -esque narrative of family strife. Despite the opposition, their love for one another is true and persists. They resolve the conflicts between their families in the process of their marriage.
Sartaj Singh
While investigating a murder, Singh, a police detective, stumbles upon a much larger issue in the city's underbelly in "Kama." He learns how even the most seemingly respectable of people have ties to the criminal underworld of Mumbai, which is much more extensive than ever before expected.
Iqbal and Rajesh
Protagonists of "Artha," these two lovers live in Mumbai. They are both busy and happy, but sometimes they don't see each other for extended periods of time. Their relationship is somewhat of a secret for propriety's sake. After losing Rajesh, Iqbal must enter her world and overcome some of his personal cultural disdain in order to find her again.
Shanti
Shanti's husband has gone missing, so she contacts the authorities, her case landing at Shiv's door. She quickly falls in love with him but is torn between her loyalty to her husband and this new bond to the inspector.
