Let's face it, engagement is not the fastest way to grow.
You were engaging and connecting with people but the maximum followers you can gain is 50 per day.
Then you started gaining explore reach - 10's of thousands of explore reach!
500 followers from each post!
Growing like crazy! 200 followers / day on average!
And you think, if I am growing so fast why do I need to engage, it brings very less followers compared to the other things.
At this moment most give up on engagement. This mistake can stop your growth forever!
Engagement is done not only for growth, it is a method of giving back for what you get and supporting other creators.
As if it is nature's law, the moment you stop engaging your close followers forget you and fans are no more fans.