Karachi

Karachi is the city where Marco Polo finds a substantial hotel job after leaving Patna, but its attractions cannot overcome his separation from Susan Munro. In their correspondence, the city stands both for greater order and relative safety during wartime and for the distance between a new job and the life Susan chooses to keep in Calcutta.

Work and Setting

After finding work in Patna but remaining dissatisfied, Marco Polo moves on to Karachi. There he eventually secures a position in a large hotel. The move gives him employment, but not a settled sense of purpose: his new post is demanding, and he writes to Susan Munro from the city rather than returning to her.

Karachi in the Letters

Marco Polo presents Karachi as a pleasant place, more organized than Calcutta and outside the danger of Japanese bombing. The comparison makes the city sound orderly and comparatively safe, especially against the threat of war. Yet this description is also an invitation: he wants Susan to come to him.

Susan Munro answers from Calcutta that she is in love with the city. Singing occupies her days, and her popularity has brought a dramatic change in her prospects: people who once would not pay ten rupees now pay her thousands, while another restaurant has promised even more. Her success gives her strong reasons to remain in Calcutta rather than exchange it for Karachi.

A Temporary Home, Not a Reunion

The letters make clear that Marco Polo misses Susan Munro, but his new work limits his freedom to travel. He explains that the hotel is crowded and short of responsible staff, so he cannot leave whenever he wishes; he suggests that she visit instead, adding that musicians also need a rest. Karachi therefore represents a practical opportunity, not a shared home. The exchange leaves the couple divided between his obligations in a new city and her growing musical career in Calcutta.