The Night Diary

Nisha is the 12-year-old narrator and protagonist of The Night Diary. She is also the twin sister of Amil. Nisha tells the story of her family’s experiences during the partition of India through daily entries in her diary, which she addresses to her deceased mother, “Mama.” Nisha has anxiety around speaking and, aside from Amil or Kazi, Nisha almost never speaks to anyone. Nisha misses Mama terribly and uses the diary Kazi gives her for her birthday to communicate with Mama about their lives during the partition of India.

While Nisha’s father is Hindu and her mother was Muslim, Nisha does not worry about which faith she should follow, but she is aware that she is comprised of two opposing world views. Nisha had never worried about what religion people were until it was announced that Muslims and Hindus would be made to live in separate countries following India’s independence. Nisha is happy to be equal parts of her mother and father but resents not being able to identify as her Muslim mother’s daughter.

Despite her fear of talking, Nisha is courageous in fleeing her home and in the difficult, traumatic journey to Jodhpur. Her difficult circumstances aside, Nisha has an overall positive outlook.