Ashar's maternal cousin and close friend who is secretly in love with him.

Ashar views this as a feudal transaction. Khirad views it as an insult to her independence. The magic of Episode 1 lies in watching these two strangers go from resentment to a fragile, unspoken attraction. The final scene, where Ashar sees Khirad for the first time in a traditional bridal get-up, is silent cinema at its best—and it is why you need accurate subtitles to catch the whispered dialogue.