1) The astrologer is a very clever and sly person. He is believed to tell the future and to know your past but he doesn’t. The reason why is that he gives open answers, something his clients would be content with hearing. One day, a stranger he tought he killed in the past (he was a former gangster) came to see if he was real. The only reason why he knew his past and what went on in his life was that he was the one to cause most of the stranger’s pain and anger. When he asks the astrologer when he would meet the person who scarred him, he told him he was no longer alive. Not only did the astrologer almost kill him but when destiny gave him the opportunity to redeem his mistake he lied! I don’t sympathize with the astrologer at all. I understand that we all make mistakes but the least he could have done was own up to his actions.
2) There is lots of irony in the story, especially from the stranger toward the astrologer. In fact, the stranger came to the appointment for proof that the astrologer was a phony and that his powers were fake. The stranger asked him «You call yourself an astrologer?». In this question, though, you can see him defying and degrading him. When the astrologer actually read the stranger right he responded «Good fellow!» … «What else?» This is another case where you can see irony. We can infer that he is saying «You got one right! Try to guess the next one» in a tone that you tell a kid or your dog
3) I believe that the story is set in the United Kingdom, after the colonization of India. The reason why is because Town Hall Park is named and it is a place in England. The story also names a lot of traditional Indian thinks like «Jutka-drivers» and the «Pyol». With that being said, I also believe it is set in the paat but not so long ago.
