A ripple of laughter ran from one corner of the room to the other.The oppressive air of discipline that swirled in with Latika's entry,suddenly drained out.Karimuddin was a servant of the hostel.Stories of his laziness and shirking had been circulating among generationsof students.Latika suddenly remembered something.Holding up her lampshe ran her eyes over the room.The girl sat in a circle,huddled against each other.Familiar faces all.but in the lamp's pale light it was as if something had changed,as if she was seeing them for the first time.
1.Who are the persons talked about in the passage?