Kabuliwala characters

Appears from the start

The narrator's lively five-year-old daughter, endlessly curious and rarely silent. She is initially wary of the Afghan street seller outside her home, but his patient humor turns their encounters into an affectionate ritual.

Also known as the Kabuliwala

Appears from the start

An Afghan fruit seller who walks the streets of Calcutta carrying a large bag of goods. Far from his own young daughter, he forms a warm friendship with Mini and recognizes in her chatter and trust the child he left at home.

Also known as Mini's father

Appears from the start

A writer and Mini's observant father, who narrates the friendship between his daughter and Rahmun. More receptive to the visitor than his anxious wife, he eventually understands that his own feelings as a father are shared by the man from Kabul.

Also known as Mini's mother

Appears from the start

Mini's cautious mother, who fears that the unfamiliar itinerant seller may be dangerous. Her suspicion contrasts with Mini's easy friendship and her husband's willingness to welcome Rahmun into the household.

Appears from the start

A customer who refuses to pay Rahmun for a shawl. Their dispute becomes violent, leading to Rahmun's arrest and separating him from Mini for years.