The imagery of death
The imagery that suggests death is frequent. In "Dharma," Major Antia's leg is a symbol for the loss of the body, and his brother's ghost is a vivid reminder of death. In "Kama," death fills the underworld of Mumbai, and Sartaj tries in vain to solve Patel's murder. Instead, he just finds himself constantly perplexed by how dark and dangerous life can be for the poor people in Mumbai.
The economic spectrum
One kind of imagery that matters a lot in each story is the way a person's socio-economic rank (they are in castes) shapes their aesthetic experience of Mumbai. The nouveau-riche in "Shakti" are portraits of privilege and wealth. That damages their relationships, arguably, but still, it beats life for Patel, who died. There is also a thorough depiction of the lower classes that are plagued by parasitic criminals who exploit the needy.
Art as imagery
Literally, art is a kind of symbolic imagery, and in the book this is described through plot. In "Artha," Iqbal's only bread crumb trail is his artwork, but Rajesh must interpret the art for its poetic, linguistic value. He doesn't like this, but because of his love for Iqbal, he starts to try understanding the art, and it works. The portrait is imagery that suggests art as the medium of empathy, because understanding art is offering thoughtful consideration to someone else's life.
Sexuality and love
The stories are frequently portraits of Love and Longing, as the title suggests. The portraits of sexuality include a sweet story about a gay couple trying to get to know each other under the scrutinous eye of a homophobic community that might harm them. Love is also considered in other stories, like "Shakti," which portrays the social element of love, as people struggle to commit to one another.
