A young girl with polio, Lenny, narrates the story through the voice of her adult self. She is from a wealthy Parsi family who hopes to remain neutral to the rising tensions between Hindus, Sikhs, and Muslims in the area. She is adored and protected by her parents and is cared for by her Ayah, the beautiful Hindu woman, Shanta. Both Dil, the Ice-Candy Man and Hassan, the Masseur are Muslim and in