The Celebration coup de grâce
There's a party goin' on right here A celebration to last throughout the years So bring your good times and your laughter too We gonna celebrate your party with you
10.03.2019 - 10.03.2019 90 °F
Tonight's the night. Icing upon the cake or, better here, the chutney on the veg empanada. In any event, it is our final night in Mumbai celebrating with Shloka Mehta-Ambani and Akash Ambani along with Shloka's wonderful and gracious parents, Russell and Mona. We have greeted and been greeted by Russell and Mona multiple times and we are sympathetic to the pace they have been enduring. We are so appreciative of being included and treated like royalty.
After breakfast and sending in some laundry and dry cleaning (so we can begin with a clean slate tomorrow as we head for Jaipur) B4 has a facial and we lunch with Dov, Deb and Elliot Tannenbaum and Anna Martin. There is much industry talk here over the The Indian Express news story headlined: Choksi firm most likely sold lab-grown diamonds, not natural stones: US probe. And, of course, there is more: “Nirav Modi and his maternal uncle Mehul Choksi are being investigated by Indian investigating agencies after the Punjab National Bank reported that it had been cheated of Rs 13,600 crore through fraudulent issue of letters LoUs and foreign letters of credit (FLCs). Modi (not the Indian Prime Minister) made international headlines again in early October 2018 when Los Angeles entrepreneur, Paul Alfonso, filed a US$4.2 million lawsuit in Los Angeles against Modi and two of his now defunct companies namely Firestar Diamond Inc. and A. Jaffe Inc. According to court records from the Superior Court of California, Modi fraudulently sold two custom diamond engagement rings to Alfonso that turned out to be lab diamonds. The value of both diamond rings were US$200,000. So, even at a wedding halfway round the globe, business follows B4.
Before we can depart for lunch, however, the ever-consciencious Trident staff--this time from the laundry, informs me that a part of the embroidery from one of my garments is missing. We'll see what that's about upon its return but it could help me to decide whether or not to ever wear it again.
After lunch I am off to the car and a ride with Anand to see "the real Mumbai," but, since it is Sunday, the real Mumbai has taken the day off. There aren't even many tut tuks on the street. I decide Anand should take the day off too and he returns me to the Trident where B4 has continued her business. And, of course, lots of business she does. Today's story on the Shloka/Akash Wedding (with photos) in The Sunday Mumbai Mirror says, "Bollywood stars, top celebrities, corporate honchos from around the world, politicians, former statesmen, world leaders and prominent artists were among the grandees who attended." While they didn't mention B4 by name, I knew to whom they were referring.
The inaugural performance at the Ambani Theatre at the Jio World Center is tonight, introduced by Mr. Ambani himself.
It feels like Cirque de Mumbai and is a water spectacular topped off by fireworks. Then, we're off for dinner with a couple thousand friends and business associates; conversation about labs and centers and fashion and forehead jewelry in America and jewelry for men (me). We ride on the "World's Largest Passenger Elevator."
Also cool I guess.
Then we retire to the massive convention center where we are again treated to foods of the world, still vegetarian and open bars galore. I have both champagne and cabernet sauvignon with my meal. Conversation with Ragin, who runs Rosy Blue in the United States, is again enlightening and stimulating and most enjoyable. He is both affable and intuitive and I could sit with him and chat for hours. I make a point to honestly praise Aashish who has parented us for these few days.
Later we move to the other side of the facility where we're joined by Adam Levine and three other Maroon 5 members doing a hastily put together acoustic set without the benefit of drums. Their first time in India, Levine said, as he struggled to get the crowd to come alive. He sort of did and sort of didn't.
The band that made "Moves Like Jagger" (with Christina Aguilera), "This Love" and "Harder to Breathe" seemed, well, marooned here, jet lagged and confused. But, that's just me. The venue was uncomfortable with no seating and nowhere near the capacity needed to handle the crowd. Lucky for those who couldn't get in there were multiple closed circuit TV screens in the lobbies.
We tire of the accommodations on the floor--or the bottom step to it--and, noting that the vape bar is beginning to send its ambiance our way, exit the scene. We stop for a Pann Company mint leaf concoction and then walk the two blocks, beneath festively decorated trees, back to the Trident. The night is wonderful and the weather is perfect. It is 1:00am when we get back to our Club Room.
We need to pack for tomorrow's travels. We do. We have three more outfits of clothing than when we entered India. I brought extra suitcase capacity but I hadn't really counted on how much room a crinoline petticoat can take up. We have two.
