The four new 'registered ladies', Lalisa, Rochana, Phaelyn and Kannika have only just laid a light breakfast and Sansa invites them to join herself and Emily to see how they got on at the club. Meeting and if they enjoyed themselves. Before sitting down they proudly display the Monarch butterfly tattooed in the small of their backs, unsurprisingly the tattooes are exact replicas of those sported by Emily, Sansa, Amy and Sushila. The ladies sit down with them, adding that Achara has the same tattoo. The ladies all speak, but somehow manage, with their excellent Thai manners, not to interrupt each other. In short they have never experienced anything so exciting in their lives. The gentlemen, although taking exactly what they wanted, were considerate in respect of ensuring they each enjoyed themselves. Sansa asks if they felt their ethnicity had any effect on the gentlemen and they confirm that being not being Indian might be an attraction, but they hadn't thought about it until the question was asked.
Sushila and Achara join the ladies for breakfast just as Emily asks the 4 ladies if they felt there was a difference between working in Bangkok Girl's brothel and serving at the monthly meeting. Each in turn say that they feel there was a special excitement at the whole meeting, they being naked and the gentlemen being fully and formally dressed. They add that it might be novelty value but the feeling that anything could, and did, happen to them added a delicious dimension to their submission, that allowed them to immerse themselves completely and enjoy the experience to the full. In short, they all feel the meeting was so much more than just prostitution. Maybe the fact that the meetings only happen on a monthly basis, has something to do with it as well. Achara agrees with everything the 4 ladies have said and rises to show her matching tattoo which everyone agrees is their sorority badge of honour.
When Nilesh and his security team join the ladies for breakfast, Emily makes an announcement. She says that she is very proud of them all. To complete their reward for excellent service, they will all embark on the Maharajahs' Express which received the "World's Leading Luxury Train" award at the World Travel Awards from 2012 to 2018. They will be away for 12 days, 7 of which will be on the "Indian Splendour" journey from Delhi to Mumbai (formerly Bombay) stopping to visit some of India's most famous and magnificent heritage sites.
The itinerary is: Day 1 travel from Delhi to Agra with a visit to the Taj Mahal; Day 2 visit Agra Fort then travel to Ranthambore National Park for a safari before continuing to Jaipur; Day 3 visit the Amber Palace, then City Palace and Observatory (Jantar Mantar), later to dine at the Rambagh Palace before returning to the train; Day 4 in Bikaner visit the Lalgarh Museum or a Local City Tour. In the afternoon visit the Junagarh Fort followed by sundowners, bar-b-que and folk dances at Sand Dunes; Day 5 in Jodhpur visit the Umaid Bhawan Palace and Jaswant Thada, after lunch visit the Mehrangarh Fort followed by a Walking Tour of the Old Clock Tower market. Attend an exclusive cocktail dinner at Hanwant Mahal or Khaas Bagh; Day 6 in Udaipur take a boat ride on Lake Pichola followed by visit to City Palace and Crystal Gallery with luncheon at Satkar Hall of Fateh Prakash Palace before travelling to Mumbai; Day 7 disembark in Mumbai at approximately 4 p.m. to travel by limousines to The Best Erotic Marigold Hotel of Mumbai for a 5 night stay in the penthouse; Day 12 enjoy a flight in first class back to Delhi.
What Emily hasn't disclosed to anyone except Sansa, Amy and Sushila is that the trip/holiday will also function as further market research. They have learned that despite the excellence of the service, Maharajahs' Express, operated by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation, has only just started turning in a profit in the last 2 years in spite of only achieving 40% occupancy. Reports suggest that prohibitive haulage fees charged by the Indian Railways (Rs 9 crore/US$1,257,542) are the problem. The Estimated Annual Revenue is US$24.1 million and the number of employees is 281. Emily wants to investigate the reason that things aren't working, i.e. could it be the high cost of tickets causing low 40% occupancy rates or the way the service is marketed? To be achieving a profit on such a low occupancy could suggest an opportunity. Only Emily & Sansa are aware that, through their club contacts, as a possible investor, the cost of their trip on the Maharajahs' Express is being met by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation.
At 8 a.m. the next morning, The Best Erotic Marigold Hotel of Delhi's courtesy coach arrives at the Delhi Safdurjung Railway Station. Emily and her retinue disembark while Nilesh deals with the check-in and the security team splits to provide protection for the 8 ladies, simultaneously supervising transfer of luggage to the appropriate cabins on the Maharajahs' Express. Emily and Sansa are shown to the only Presidential Suite on the train. The 4 double suites are allocated to: Amy and Sushila; Achara; Lalisa and Rochana; Phaelyn and Kannika. 3 of the 12 twin bedded junior suites are allocated to: Nilesh; Sudesh and Ranjit; Sanwar and Krishnan. The assistant PSOs are allocated in pairs to one of the remaining 12 twin bedded deluxe cabins.
The sumptuous 448 square foot Presidential suite, the only one of its kind among international trains, is named Navratana (nine precious gems) and has a living room, a master double bedroom, a second twin bedded room and washrooms. The Presidential Suite has an exclusive 24/7 personal valet service. It really is a palace on wheels. Nilesh and Sudesh unpack for their ladies and as they finish up, the train pulls away on the first leg of their journey, to Agra. A glance at the time shows the train has departed exactly on time, at 9:15 a.m.
At 9:30 a.m. the group makes its way to the Mayur Mahal restaurant, named after India's national bird the peacock, fondly named Mayur. The two restaurant cars on the train can comfortably accommodate 42 guests each, but given the low occupancy, the Mayur Mahal has been reserved exclusively for Emily and her group. On one side of the corridor are tables for two and on the other side are tables for four. The decor is similar to what might be seen in a top class Indian restaurant in London's West End, e.g. Veeraswamy's just off Regent Street.
After a light brunch featuring choices of both Indian and International cuisines they linger over coffee until receiving a briefing on their tour of the Taj Mahal. Although the usual practice is to offer inclusive facilities according to the cabin accommodated. The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation have extended the tour arrangements so that all receive the same quality of service as the occupants of the Presidential Suite. While impressed with the service, Emily realises they are putting on their best possible service for her benefit, the owner of a large group of prestigious hotels and a cruise ship, most probably to secure her investment ... time will tell.