In the quoted passage from Salman Rushdie's "Luka and the Fire of Life," the author contemplates the concept of existence and non-existence. He suggests that if the universe can emerge from nothingness, it stands to reason that it could also collapse back into nothingness. This idea poses a philosophical question about the nature of existence itself, highlighting the duality of being and not being.

Rushdie further illustrates this notion by referencing notable figures, emphasizing that all humans have the potential to return to nothingness once their time is over. This "personal Un-Bang" implies that every life, regardless of its significance, ultimately leads back to the void from which it originated, provoking thoughts about life, death, and the cyclical nature of existence.