The amputated leg
Major Antia lives with a tangible reminder of what happened to him in war. His amputated leg is an unforgettable reminder of his time at war, and it limits him. In many ways, this makes him differently abled, but it is also a symbol for the way warfare damages the human soul. He wants to be free from the harm that was done to him, but the reminder is constant and permanent.
The family ghost
When Major Antia's ghost brother shows up, Soli, who died when they were young, that serves as a symbol. For one, it symbolizes the value of life, because although Antia has suffered greatly, he is alive, and his brother is not. He deals with guilt, both from the accident that killed his brother, but also from the guilt of being alive when the brother could not be. The brother represents his inner conflicts.
Money and sterility
In "Shakti," money is shown to be a symbol for independent power, which seems like a good thing, but the money in Mumbai's upper class makes their marriages aloof and tragic. Because they don't depend on each other, the rich folks struggle to connect. Meanwhile, the poor in Mumbai simply must cooperate, or they cannot survive.
Crime and the underworld
Human evil and malice is shown in the criminal underworld which takes an already precarious situation and makes it even worse. Because the crime disrupts a natural harmony, the issues that face Mumbai's lower class are exponentially worse. It is easier for crime to disrupt the lives of the disenfranchised, so crime is also a symbol in this book for brokenness and systemic injustice.
Homosexuality as a danger
The story "Artha" is a symbolic portrait of another systemic injustice, the legal and social rejection of homosexuality. They lovers are constantly trying to stay hidden, lest they be caught and harmed, and their own sexual identity is potentially dangerous. And yet, their love is intimate and passionate, and Rajesh goes on a symbolic adventure to find Iqbal.
Art as a symbol
Rajesh must interpret art in order to find and save his lover. This means that art is a symbolic tool for empathy, because only Iqbal's art can help him to understand what might have happened. In the past, he found visual art to be mentally confusing, because he couldn't isolate the meaning of an image. But, because of love, he understands the art as a bread crumb trail back to his missing love. This makes art a symbol also for love.
