Rich People Problems

After his daughter Chloe had fallen asleep, Charlie called Astrid. He reports that Isabel’s lawyers are willing to settle, afraid that Isabel’s stunt in Singapore could have resulted in Charlie getting full custody of their children. He then invited Astrid to India, where he was due to attend a charity polo match in Jodhpur. Though concerned about her grandmother, Astrid agreed to stay with Charlie at the Umaid Bhawan Palace—an exclusive hotel and “one of the most gorgeous palaces in the world” (72). 

When Nick arrived at in the arrival terminal at the airport, his best friend, Colin Khoo, was there to greet him. Nick updates Colin on the condition of his wife, Araminta, who is still living with depression. While driving Nick back to Tyersall Park, Colin recalled the memory of when the boys hid out in the tree house on the property so that Colin wouldn’t be shipped off to boarding school. That memory triggered another in which Nick remembered a fight between his parents and his mother, fed up with the excesses of the Young family, threatening to take Nick away. Nick ran away from home with $790 and a flashlight. He went to Colin Khoo’s house, where he was greeted by Colin’s British grandmother, Winifred.

Thirty minutes later, Nick’s parents, Philip and Eleanor, arrived. Shortly thereafter, Su Yi arrived with her ladies’ maids and Nick’s nanny, Ah Ling. After providing Winifred Khoo with a gift of mooncakes, Su Yi ignored her son’s entreaties and took Nick back to Tyersall Park, where she told him he could stay for as long as he wanted.

After coming out of the reverie, Nick saw that he had arrived at Tyersall Park’s gates. A Gurkha wearing a yellow turban greeted them, peered in the car, and determined that they were not expecting any more visitors that evening. When Colin protested, arguing that Su Yi’s grandson, Nicholas Young, was in the car, he was still refused. Nick, who didn’t recognize the guard, asked him to call Vikram, who had headed the guard unit for 20 years. Vikram was off-duty, so the attending guard called Sergeant Joey Gurung instead who, much to Nick’s surprise, still didn’t allow him to enter.

Eddie Cheng had arrived with his family and entourage from Hong Kong the day before. Now, he was watching the cavalcade of his aunt Catherine and the family into which she had married—the Aakaras of Thailand. Catherine, or Auntie Cat, was the first to enter the house. She was a stocky, but athletic, woman in her seventies. Eddie’s Uncle Taksin (Catherine’s husband) entered the room, impeccably dressed. Behind him, his son Adam arrived with his new wife, Princess Piya. Eddie greeted the princess with a bow and kissed her hand. Adam snorted, and Piya insisted that Eddie simply call her Piya. Eddie regretted not being born into the Aakara family.

Eddie resented the idea of the Aakaras inheriting Tyersall Park, given that they had the privilege of being royalty. He concluded that he was the only one who deserved to inherit the property. Eddie went to the foot of his grandmother’s bed and began to pray, though he didn’t believe in God. His grandmother awakened and saw him. When he revealed to her that he was praying, she chastised him, saying she was tired of people praying for her. Eddie reported that Nick was due to arrive from New York. At the mention of Nick, his grandmother’s heart rate rose. He asked if she wanted to see him; her heart rate rose more. Professor Oon rushed in alarmed. Victoria entered, asking if everything was okay. Eddie revealed that Su Yi was having another heart attack due to his mentioning Nick. Eddie told those present that his grandmother didn’t want to see Nick, and that was the last thing she had told him.

Astrid stood on the balcony of the Umaid Bhawan Palace Hotel and admired its view of Jodhpur. Charlie entered and bade her good morning. She thanked him for sweeping her away for the weekend—she needed the break. Charlie took Astrid to Mehrangarh Fort, Jai Pol, and a fort complex that was opened especially for them. He also revealed that they were invited to the private residence of Umaid Bhawan for dinner. Charlie then led Astrid up to a steep staircase which, at the top, revealed “a collection of golden baby cradles” (97). He told her that the ladies of the palace were sequestered there because royal wives and concubines could never be seen publicly. Charlie then changed to a more upbeat tone and asked if Astrid wanted to have her hands painted. The concierge at their hotel had told him that an impressive henna artist worked at the museum gift shop. Astrid agreed. Charlie told her to stay put while he went to get the artist.

Alone in the building called the Peeping Palace, called that because ladies could only peep down at the activities in the courtyard below, Astrid thought that she heard some laughter in the near distance. Suddenly, she saw a line of women dancing and heard them singing a Hindi pop song. Then, she saw Shah Rukh Khan, one of India’s biggest stars, singing lead. Shortly thereafter, a decorated elephant entered the gate. Astride the elephant was Charlie, wearing “a midnight blue paisley sherwani with matching trousers and turban” (98).

Charlie leapt onto the terrace where Astrid stood and told her that Isabel had recently signed their divorce papers. He then asked Astrid to marry him. He presented her grandmother’s five-carat canary diamond solitaire ring. Astrid said yes. In the excitement and excess of the moment, no one saw the flashes from a photographer’s camera “coming from the highest turret on the southern end of the fort” (99). Whoever the photographer was, his or her lens was pointed directly at Charlie and Astrid.