The novel separates its characters into two groups: those who have experienced grief and those who have not. For Feyi, trying to be in a relationship with someone who has not experienced grief is difficult. She instinctively feels this with Nasir, knowing that he does not understand something vital about her. Though he is sympathetic, his inability to understand the depth and permanence of her grief creates a barrier between them that proves to be insurmountable.

Conversely, her first attempt back in the dating world with Milan is a good example of the link grief can create between people. His character’s role is brief, but the fact that she gravitates toward and trusts him speaks to a bond between them that even they do not at first recognize, though Milan later comments that they sensed something in each other, a sadness that brought them together. Similarly, Pooja sees the grief and madness (as she calls it), in Feyi’s work and identifies with the feeling. This inspires her to be Feyi’s first big financial supporter because she knows Feyi understands something deep inside her. Feyi’s art speaks to people like Pooja and Alim because it makes her grief obvious and calls to those who have experienced similar things.