“The women’s resigned and weary faces, in the undecided early light, were transformed fleetingly into visages of gentle dignity.”

With this observation, Mistry makes the reader see the faces of the women in the Khodadad Building. By showing us a fleeting image of their faces looking peaceful, we understand their daily lives are anything but and are instead fraught with stress and hard work.

“So Gustad quickly decided that while the music was good and the glittering icons and sumptuous vestments were highly impressive, he preferred the sense of peaceful mystery and individual serenity that prevailed in the fire-temple.”

Gustad is openminded and enjoys experiences based in various traditions. He absorbs Malcolm’s lessons about buying beef at the market and appreciates the experiences of the Catholic church Malcolm shares with him. However, Gustad is firmly grounded in the traditions and beliefs of his own upbringing. He believes you cannot change beliefs like you can change your clothes.

“There was something patently ungrateful about the transaction, a lack of good taste in whoever was responsible for such a pointless, wasteful finish: beautiful colourful creatures, full of life and fun, hidden under the drab soil of the compound.”

This passage describes a young Darius trying to raise beautiful, small creatures as pets, such as tropical fish and lovebirds. The creatures all died and were buried in the dry earth, making Darius aware of the profound unfairness of life. Death isn’t the way beauty and love should be rewarded.