The Maharajah
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Bollywood,
India
Friday, March 2, 2007
Last night Enakshi, the owner of the agency here, invited Sara and
myself to a friend's house for dinner. It was a nice gesture-- so nice
to be whisked away from this apartment which imprisons me. I suspect
that she felt bad for us, Heida having left that morning to go back to
London, and Sara's boyfriend in South India shooting for a catalogue.
It promised to be a good evening and I looked forward to spending time
with an Indian family in their own home. The night turned out to be so
much more than that: Our host was a genuine Indian prince, and his two
daughters were Bollywood actresses.
The house was perched above the
Arabian Sea with a living room with a door which opened up to a
veranda. All night long, we could hear the gentle lapping of the waves
upon the shore, and smell the cool salt breeze. Sara and I felt shy,
out of place, but drank the proffered vodka and wine and let the
alcohol work its magic, loosening our inhibitions and out tongues. We
met another prince, going by the name of Jesse, and he invited us to
visit his palace six hours south of Bombay. I was enchanted. My first
brush with royalty, two types of royalty in fact: two princes, and then
Bollywood royalty as well. The sister's mother and grandmother had been
hugely successful in their film industry.
Other guests arrived...
The girls (in their twenties) invited some other others of their age
group. There was an American woman called Victoria who was a writer.
She told us stories of their youth, when she had been a young American
in Calcutta and had first met our host as well as Enakshi. It sounded
like an amazing time-- painted to sound like a truly golden time in
history. Enakshi had been the most beautiful girl in India, the Prince
was a young playboy... his future wife, a devastating beauty.
The
evening melted away... I danced to "the King" with the Prince, tripped
over my own feet, and landed in his lap. (I was not sure whether to
feel embarrassed or laugh, but it caused great merriment to the other
guests, particulary his daughters). We were served Indian food, which
burned my tongue badly, but looked absolutely delicious. Finally, we
said good night, called our driver, and went home to dream about our
adventures.
Comments
...and you were thinking about not going
elise, what a lucky soul you are. These entries are the highlight of my days in cold, dank New York. The adventures you write about whisk me away to another place so vivid and beautiful, I can't believe you are actually living them and their not just a world of make believe I've read in a novel. Thank you....and PLEASE keep them coming!
xoxo
Morgie
Yet another adventure!
I agree with Morgan...I check in often to see the new stuff you post! Glad things are a little cheerier! Thanks for your wonderfully visual descriptions, again, live it up girl!..It's once in a lifetime!
Aunt Celeste