narrative. At the start of the novel, the main character reflects on his impending journey and grapples with feelings of anxiety as he prepares for a departure that is tinged with memories of a past love. He recalls the time spent in Istanbul, mingling personal memories with reflections on the passage of time and the shadows of his former life. This sense of longing is intensified by his memories of a Circassian girl and the bonds he formed while living there. As he anticipates his reunion with the city, he oscillates between hope and despair, contemplating the possibility of finding the girl he once loved, all while recognizing the inexorable changes that time has wrought upon both the city and himself. (This is an automatically generated summary.)