Emily & Sansa are now enjoying some piece and quiet, knowing their business interests are in the safe hands of people they know and trust. The 36 Best Marigold Erotic Hotels in major cities, under the care of Ms Karima Chettri have increased their profits by running regular seminars on intimate relationships. Under Ms Sushila Mitra continuing care and guidance, the 36 club mansions in major cities now accommodate financially independent prostitutes operating lawfully and the risk of prosecution for owning or managing a brothel is reduced to almost zero. Bangkok Girl, under the care of Amy & Achara, goes from strength to strength with happy motivated ladies meeting the needs of the club members who purchase regular cruises.
By courtesy of their friend Mahendra, Emily & Sansa have met with the 1st Secretary at the British Consulate in Delhi and Sansa now has a 12 month visa to visit the UK with her British citizen fiancΓ©e in order to marry and honeymoon in Emily's homeland. The visa is stored safely with her Indian passport and Emily's personal documents in her briefcase.
Now they are in a position to start planning their trip using their Learjet. Mahendra's research suggests a fairly direct route from the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi Heathrow Airport near London, via Dubai, Cairo & Rome. The 4 legs of the journey totalling 5094 miles and an estimated flying time of 11 hours 34 minutes
Emily & Sansa aren't happy about both Dubai and Cairo, both being muslim countries. Their position as women and lesbians putting them in unnecessary risk. Mahendra asks if they would be comfortable only stopping to refuel and not leave the aircraft. They still don't like the risk given that Sansa is Hindu. Mahendra goes back to the planner and says that the range of their Learjet means that refuelling is necessary in order to reach Europe and suggests he could try the commercial airlines to see if it is possible.
They consider both Bali and Bangkok and their internet research reveals that Bali may not be a safe place for a lesbian couple, and in trying to marry they would simply be publicly declaring their presence and they don't want to be targets ever again, if they can possibly avoid it. Even Bangkok presents problems, so it looks like their best option is their original plan. Their decision is to use the visa that Mahendra so kindly helped Sansa to get and to travel to England by commercial airline that doesn't refuel in a muslim country.
Mahendra calls out triumphantly: "Success at last! Air India, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Vistara operate non-stop flights every day of the week except Saturday from: Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi to Heathrow Airport near London. The flight takes 9.5 hours and a first class ticket costs i.r.o. US5,000". Emily and Sansa exchange glances and nod. Emily asks him to see how they can book, he gives her a number to call the Air India office at the airport.
Emily makes the call, putting it on speaker so Sansa can hear. Air India flight AI161 departs Delhi from terminal T3, Indira Gandhi International Airport at 03:04 hours the next day but they need to check-in by midnight. Emily is asked for the passenger & passport details of the passengers which she reads from their passports. Emily pays for the flights with an additional fee to have them couriered a.s.a.p. to her in the penthouse of Best Erotic Marigold Hotel of Delhi. They are told the payment is successful and the tickets will be on the way to them in 10 minutes.
An hour later their tickets arrive, they check them very carefully. Emily calls Karima to ask if the Best Erotic Hotels Group enjoy any reciprocal agreements with 5 star luxury hotels in central London that she and Sansa could enjoy. Karima replies that there are several, but the best in her opinion is the Ritz on Piccadilly where they have a reciprocal 20% discount arrangement with free use of facilities that are usually extras. The Ritz courtesy bus service is a limousine. Emily asks if she can book them a superior suite from tomorrow, they will be landing at Terminal 2 of Heathrow Airport at 0658 hours local time. Karima says that she will book the hotel limousine for them, make their bookings at the Ritz, initially for 7 nights with the option to extend and then call her back with confirmation.
With the arrangements for their trip well under way, Mahendra bids Emily and Sansa a fond bon voyage and leaves them to get on with their preparations. Emily tells Sansa that she had experienced occasional racial prejudice during her childhood and growing up in England, but it only served to reinforce the love of her Indian heritage. She adds that she feels even more Indian since she became an Indian citizen then asks whether Sansa would be comfortable if she only had Indian clothes packed in her luggage. Sansa smiles and says that she will be very proud if she does. The decision made, their servant is instructed to pack their very prettiest Indian clothes. Emily whispers that they can always buy warmer clothes if they feel it is necessary.
Sushila arrives for lunch with Emily and Sansa in the privacy of their suite. When they are seated, Sushila asks: "How may I please you?" They laugh and Emily tells them of their plans to marry but they know it will have no validity in India. Therefore she and Sansa wish to instruct her to prepare the necessary legal documents for them to jointly own everything they currently own individually. Sushila is delighted to hear the news and gladly accepts their instructions saying that their shared property means that if the worst happens, the remaining co-owner will become the sole owner of all their assets in India and elsewhere.
Over lunch Sushila asks if they have considered having a Hindu wedding when they return so that their extended family may celebrate their marriage with them. From recent reports of same sex Hindu weddings becoming more frequent in India, even though it won't be recognised in Indian law, it would be an endorsement of their marriage in Britain.
Karima calls to confirm successfully booking the Ritz, that the hotel limousine will be ready to take them to the airport at 10:30 p.m. to ensure they have plenty of time. She also reminds Emily that Air India have a first class lounge in the terminal for which they just need their boarding cards to enter. Emily thanks Karima who wishes them a wonderful wedding and honeymoon and the call ends.
Emily and Sansa love Sushila's idea of a Hindu wedding, even though she is Anglo-Indian she was brought up by her mother as a Hindu and her British father had opted for a Hindu funeral in his will. Sushila assures them that she will arrange everything, they just need to choose where they would like their Hindu wedding to take place.
Emily & Sansa recall their trip to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal and in spite of being a mausoleum, it was the most romantic place that they had ever visited. Although there isn't a Best Erotic Marigold Hotel, because Agra isn't a state capital, she does, thanks to her excellent parents, own the 5 star Taj View Hotel which as the name suggests, overlooks the Taj Mahal. Sushila looks up the hotel on the internet to find it has a penthouse. Emily makes a quick call to confirm that the penthouse is reserved for her sole use and when she reveals her identity, the call is transferred to the General Manager.
He asks how he may be of service and Emily reveals that she has just learned that the Taj View is one of her chain of hotels. She is about to leave on an extended trip to the UK but wanted to know whether it was possible for a same sex Hindu wedding to be held in the penthouse. Purely for the purpose of identification, he asks for the name of his boss. Emily smiles as she tells him that would be Ms Karima Chettri, her Manager of all the hotels that she owns. She can almost hear him breathe a sigh of relief that he was both respectful and professional before he says that indeed that can be arranged. She thanks him and says that Ms Sushila Mitra will soon be in touch and that Karima knows who she is. The call ends cordially.
They spend the afternoon choosing their clothes and supervising the careful packing with tissue paper between folds to reduce creases. As first class passengers they benefit from a much greater luggage allowance so each takes 2 cases. They only stop for afternoon tea and when their packing is completed they enjoy a lovely intimate shower together. They decide to dine in the first class lounge at the airport and enjoy a couple of hours together in bed.
At 10:30 p.m. Sansa, Emily and their luggage, courtesy of Nilesh & Sudesh is packed in the boot and all four travel to the airport. Nilesh & Sudesh are reminded that they may take a holiday using any of Emily's hotels. After check-in, Nilesh & Sudesh stay with the ladies until they go through security, then return to the limo and to the hotel.