But he was no longer in Tollygunge. He had stepped out of it as he had stepped so many mornings out of his dreams, its reality and its particular logic rendered meaningless in the light of day. The difference was so extreme that he could not accommodate the two places together in his mind. In this enormous new country, there seemed to be nowhere for the old to reside. There was nothing to link them; he was the sole link. Here life ceased to obstruct or assault him. Here was a place where humanity was not always pushing, rushing, running as if with a fire at its back
The protagonist experiences a profound disconnection between his old life in Tollygunge and his new surroundings. While he has physically moved away from Tollygunge, the emotional and psychological ties to his past remain complex and strained. The stark contrast between the two environments leaves him feeling isolated, as if there is no bridge connecting his previous existence to the present reality he faces.
In this new place, life unfolds differently, offering...
