Trip to India

Guntaj had explained to Baron a breakdown in communication on his return to India after graduation. There had been a wedding and soon after transfer to Dubai for several years where his cellphone was stolen, and personal effects disappeared when shipped from Mumbai to Dubai in transit. So, he’d lost many of his old contacts that way. He’d then relocated to Huston in the US on assignment there and afterward returned to India when his industrialist father was too sick to carry on his job as president of Singh Automotive Engineering a company set up as a small enterprise by his grandfather just after the proclamation of the Indian republic. It had gone from the manufacture of small agricultural machinery to more complex vehicles and was now a developing colossus in the industry exporting to an expanding market overseas. Guntaj, who was now president, had worked with competitor companies on trips like this one to Germany looking for new ideas to improve the robotics industry already churning out a series of products in India’s expanding industrial base. While men in this study team were competitors, they worked together to ensure India strove for the eventual top place among industrialized nations. They had a long way to go but were already highly competitive and had spread their investments abroad to be close by centers of innovation and research.

Before their departure from Germany Guntaj and Katiya had invited Baron and his wife to India and insisted, they stay in their large bungalow on the sprawling Singh estate on the outskirts of Delhi with multiple buildings housing the extended family including parents now retired and the troop of servants serving home and estate needs. The Singh original industrial complex was only five kilometers from the estate but now their industry consisted of several other industrial complexes scattered around strategic places in India which supplied parts and services in support of the robotics production lines close by. The two families were in constant contact now particularly the women who’d found they had many things in common personally and professionally.

So, the following year when Guntaj renewed the invitation for them to visit India Baron in consultation with his wife thought it would be fun to see India for the first time. Baron could only afford to be away for two weeks and as Mareike had taken two weeks off within the year that was as much as she could afford to be away from her high stress job. Negotiating back and forth between the two families, they settled on a mutually acceptable date, and each commenced the countdown looking forward to the reconnection.

Eventually the day arrived, and they arrived exhausted after the long flight to Delhi to be met by a large delegation of the Singh family and weighted down with countless garlands they exited the airport to be happily reunited with their friends while extended family members bought their luggage and fought off the coolies and taxi drivers looking for business. Baron was amazed as he viewed Delhi while they inched their way through the streets until traffic thinned out and they could speed to the Singh estate passing the huge industrial complex on the way which Guntaj proudly pointed out. It was quite a cultural shock to see Indian culture at work and that was only a sanitized version of the kaleidoscope of cultures making up this big nation.

Baron spoke.

“Getting through customs and immigration was quite easy Guntaj. They way you described it we were expecting long delays and minute inspections of documents and luggage.”

Guntaj and Katiya burst into laughter.

“If you’d come on a private visit without the necessary forward arrangements, you’d have found things a little different. The Singh family is widely dispersed and well connected. Did someone with a turban guide you through immigration and customs?”

“Yes, he was very friendly and helpful. Do you know him?”

“He’s related, and we asked him to be on the lookout for you. He had your pictures. You got VIP treatment. Welcome to Bharat Mata.”

The first week they were whisked around the tourist spots surrounding Delhi including the Taj Mahal in Agra. Of course, the obligatory tour was of the factory which Baron found extremely interesting, but Katiya had insisted she wanted Mareike on a separate time of discovery of things she was involved in and in the process met with social workers and women who were Katiya’s society friends and wives of the political and industrial elite and many who were entrepreneurs in their own right.

She was taken from one restaurant to another and exposed to the best of Indian cuisine which she loved. They’d all return in the evenings to share what they’d experienced during the day exhausted. So much to see and so little time to do it.

They took an air trip to Dehra Dun and were carried up the mountains to Mussoorie in foothills of the Himalayas by a mad taxi driver who drove at breakneck speed around the winding road upward ignoring the curses of Guntaj who was embarrassed at endangering his friends. They were to stay in a Singh owned bungalow with a wonderful view of the Himalayas. Later they flew by plane from Delhi to Amritsar where they watched the border gate closing ceremony between India and Pakistan a world-famous tourist event and shown with pride the Sikh’s Golden Temple in this heartland of the Singh extended family viewing extensive rural properties of distant relatives. Noting the very conservative culture of this region Mareike began to understand the reticence of Katiya to be seen in a bikini on their trip to Germany a year previous.

In the second week Katiya took her friend to see some of the social impact work she was involved in as a representative of the government seeking better ways to deal with social issues. They visited orphanages together and Katiya explained how adoptions were regulated and audited. One little girl extremely pretty and personable took a liking to Mareike and approached with arms outstretched to be picked up. The supervisor quickly rushed to stop the child, but Mareike reached down and picked her up. The girl was fascinated by Mareike’s light skin and hair and examined her closely with her hands talking animatedly as she did. Mareike turned to Katiya and spoke as the child inspected her earring.

“What’s her name what is she saying?”

The embarrassed supervisor apologized and offered the name of the child to Katiya in Hindi, but Katiya smiled and told her not to worry. Katiya turned to her friend, noting the interaction between her friend and the child.

“You’d make a wonderful mother my sister. I think you and Baron should be planning on a family. The child’s name is Haima and she’s obviously a high caste child but was found at the front door of the orphanage one morning. The watchman says he didn’t see anyone place the baby there but was probably bribed to say that.”

Mareike resisted the attempt of the supervisor to take the child off her.

“Katiya, we’ve tried several times apparently, I’m not able to have children but would love to have a child to pour my love out on. I’d even give up my career for that privilege. This little girl seems to like me. I’d love to take her back to Germany with me considering she won’t have much of a life here in an orphanage. Of course, I’d have to ask Baron, but would it be possible?”

Katiya studied her friend carefully to see if this was just a whim of the moment of whether her friend now considered a sister was serious. The Indian government was not encouraging foreign adoptions as there’d been some unfortunate issues where the initial enthusiasm of adoption had proved to be temporary and those adopting tried to either return the child or abandoned the child abroad. So, there were regulations and careful assessments of those who tried to adopt from abroad. Of course, Katiya knew her friend was a genuine person who’d be suitable in an investigation nevertheless she had an obligation to government and would have to tread carefully so could give no encouragement at this stage.

She indicated they’d have to move to the next appointment quickly and Mareike handed the child back to the supervisor with a sigh. The little girl began to cry, and Mareike’s heart went out to the little girl. She’d have to convince Baron to give adoption a try that evening. Tears formed in Katiya’s eyes as she quickly shepherded her friend out of the orphanage and away from this scene.

 That evening Guntaj announced there was an opportunity to get four tickets from Delhi to Katmandu where they could take an early morning flight around the Everest region. Would they be interested? There was only a couple more days before they had to return to Germany. Despite the need to hastily grab luggage and head for the airport on their return to Delhi they decided to take the opportunity trusting there’d be no cancellation or delay in the flight back to Delhi. The trip was spectacular, and they made their appointment with the return flight on time and were sent off with tears by Guntaj and Katiya who now viewed them as close members of the family rather than close friends.

To be continued.

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