I am a master in India

Chapter 151 Departure
"You invested in a movie, but I'm not the lead actress!"

“Honey, that was just a low-budget film, only 300 million rupees in budget. You’re going to make a blockbuster, aren’t you?”

“I don’t believe it!” Manisha glanced at him sideways.

"There are restricted scenes inside."

"Huh?" Manisha exclaimed in surprise.

“I already said it’s a low-budget film, without any explicit content, who would watch it?” Ron shrugged.

Manisha finally stopped being unreasonable; she was an ambitious Bollywood actress.

If you want to act in big-budget films in the future, it's best to avoid these low-budget films, as they can easily lower your prestige.

“By the way, speaking of that movie, do you know about Difficult Mother?” Ron asked her quietly.

"That Valkyrie?" Mani had lived in India for so long that he knew about well-known mythological figures.

"Yes, it's her."

"Are you a follower of Dignitary Mother?" Manisha asked.

"No, I want you to play her."

"Huh? Wasn't the female lead for this movie already decided?"

“Oh dear, you didn’t get me right.” Ron gave her a look. “I’m not talking about acting in front of a camera, I’m talking about acting at home.”

“Home?” Manisha was taken aback, then her eyes widened. “Oh! Allah above!”

“No, I’m on top!” Ron corrected her.

He wants to do cosplay too.

And Brahmins, when they're going to play, they want something exciting.

Hmm, he needs to research which other goddesses exist in Hinduism.

It would be best to make some sets, just like the statues in the temple. As an actress, Manisha should be able to get into character very quickly.

Manisa has worked so hard, Ron won't take it for nothing.

He used his connections with old Lars and Chandra to help Manisha secure the second female lead roles in two films.

Her filming schedule for this year is already full; her complaint just now was just her way of being affectionate.

Manisha became even more persistent with Ron after learning that he had started investing in movies.

Having worked in Bollywood for so long, this "Nepalese princess" is well aware of the power of capital.

She comes from a prominent family, but her influence is limited, so Ron can be her protector.

Alas, the burden on his shoulders has become even heavier, now that he has two more legs.

After leaving Manisha, Ron went to see Hela.

This woman was preparing to go on vacation to Goa. Mumbai's rainy season is not suitable for foreigners to stay for long, and she couldn't stand the damp weather.

"You've come at the right time. If you have any passport business, could you hold off on it for me?" She was packing things up in the studio.

"Am I here to say goodbye too?" Ron shrugged.

"Where are you going? Another vacation?" Hela looked up.

“I’m in Uttar Pradesh, a movie is being filmed there, and I’m taking this opportunity to visit relatives.”

“Fine, I’ll go to Goa then.” Hela instantly lost interest.

As a foreigner who had lived in India for four years, she knew very well what North India meant.

Foreigners, especially foreign women, should never try to go there, otherwise no one can guarantee what might happen.

"By the way, there's something I might need your help with."

"What?" Ron asked.

“A friend of mine is having some trouble. We’ll talk about it when we get back.”

“No problem.” Ron nodded in agreement.

“I knew you would help me.” Hela threw down what she was holding and pulled him toward the outside of the workshop.

"What's wrong?" Ron asked, surprised.

"Elbow, come inside with me!" Hela's tone left no room for argument.

With such a long rainy season, there must be something to reminisce about.

It was tough on Ron; he didn't even have the energy to go find Kavia.

Alright, that's enough. Ron decided to slack off.

I counted on my fingers, and it seems like all the grass around my nest has been plucked.

After making a phone call to his friends, Ron officially set off for Uttar Pradesh.

He, Nia, Mary, and a few others flew directly from Mumbai to Varanasi.

Schiff Kulma then took the rest of the crew and traveled by train to Uttar Pradesh.

Just kidding, plane tickets cost several thousand rupees each, where would the film crew get the budget?

Train tickets are much cheaper, with sleeper carriages costing only 300 rupees, traversing the Indian subcontinent.

Schiff and his group had already set off ahead of time, while Ron only managed to finalize the arrangements in Mumbai after the first rain of the rainy season arrived.

There was no other way; the electric fans from Suer Electric Appliances had just rolled off the production line, and he needed to make sure there were no problems before he could leave with peace of mind.

"Daddy, should we bring some insect repellent?" Nia hopped around the apartment like a happy golden-winged bird.

“Varanasi isn’t a primitive tribe, Nia, we don’t need to prepare so much stuff,” Ron said with a hint of helplessness.

“But this isn’t Mumbai.” Nia finally stuffed the bottle of insect repellent into her suitcase.

That was her hometown, and she knew exactly what she needed to prepare.

Well, she's happy today, let her be. Having been in Mumbai for over a year before returning home, Nia's heart has long since flown north.

At Mumbai Airport, Ron looked at the girls next to Mary and the others, blinking in confusion.

“Miss Madonka?” he asked, somewhat uncertainly.

“Hello, Dr. Sur.” Urmira shook hands with him generously.

“You can’t expect a nineteen-year-old girl to squeeze onto a train,” Mary said with a smile, wearing sunglasses.

“Of course, she’s our leading lady.” Ron agreed wholeheartedly, then politely shook hands with Urmila’s father.

Her family came to the airport to see her off today. Her mother looked very worried, but her father quietly comforted her.

"Dr. Sur is a good man, Urmira is safe now."

When he was asked to take on this role, he only agreed to let his daughter star in it after hearing Ron's name.

He finally saw it today, and as a father, he breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Although Ron was surprised that Urmila would be traveling with them, he still greeted her family warmly.

After chatting for a while, they said their goodbyes, and the four girls, some plump and some slender, followed Ron straight to the boarding gate.

This attracted the attention of most of the men around, simply because the girls were so beautiful.

Ron was surrounded by a happy kind of trouble; he enjoyed the sight.

Oh dear, his Indian genes are stirring again.

It's a shame to have spent 20,000 rupees on a first-class ticket; the money was spent, but I got nothing in return.

The flight from Mumbai to Varanasi takes only 3 hours, much faster than Schiff and his group.

Varanasi is a special city, largely because of the Ganges River that flows through the city from south to north.

Legend has it that this river was formed from drops of water from Shiva's hair falling at his feet and converging. The river is said to be connected to Shiva's soul, making prayers offered here particularly effective.

It became a sacred river in the eyes of Hindus, and Varanasi became a holy city.

Most believers have this wish: to visit Varanasi before they die, or to die on their pilgrimage.

On special holy days, one million believers bathe and pray in the Ganges. Even on ordinary days, five thousand people worship along the banks of the Ganges.

Those pilgrims in South India often set off more than a month in advance. If they don't have money for train tickets, they'll climb onto the roof or through the windows.

To address this, the railway bureau installed grilles on the train windows, but this did not have much effect.

Varanasi is not the capital of Uttar Pradesh, but it is more famous than Lucknow.

At least Mary and the others had heard of the Holy City, but they didn't know about Lucknow.

"Why is the city only built on the left side of the Ganges, and there's nothing on the right side?" Lena wondered.

This is also a major feature of Varanasi, with the Ganges River flowing through it from south to north, Varanasi on the left and barren land on the right.

Yes, there's nothing on the right, just a completely barren wasteland.

“Because everyone considers the other side of the river to be an unclean place, and even slums wouldn’t be built there,” Ron explained.

"This is so strange. And what are those big stone platforms in the river?"

"It's a bathhouse, and it's also a crematorium."

"What!" Lena's eyes widened.

"On special holy days, people hold bathing ceremonies there, and sometimes it's also used for cremation. Look over there."

Following the direction Ron pointed, Lena and the others saw thick smoke rising from a set of steps on the riverbank.

The body, wrapped in a sari, was carried on a bamboo pole and thrown into the fire. Family members around her chanted scriptures incessantly, their expressions solemn.

"Oh God!" Lena couldn't stand the scene.

"The sari has a floral wreath, and the firewood is made of sandalwood; this is a wealthy family," Ron commented.

"A wealthy family?" they asked instinctively.

“The poor are over there,” Ron pointed, and a corpse floated across the river at their feet.

"My God!" Mary couldn't hold back this time either.

"Hindus believe that the Ganges is the closest place to the afterlife, and passing away here is equivalent to obtaining a passport to the afterlife."

For many Hindus, their greatest wish in life is to have their ashes scattered on the Ganges River.

People bathing, ashes, rotting corpses, excrement, straw, rotting water buffalo, and various industrial waste acids.

This is Ganges water, very nutritious; Ron has drunk a cup of it.

The old servant Abi had asked someone to fetch the holy water from here, and it worked wonders, which is why he came.

Mary and her companion stared intently at the Ganges River. They had never seen anything like it before; it was a sight completely different from Mumbai.

The only similarity is that there are also a few foreign backpackers here, taking pictures non-stop on the sightseeing boats on the river.

"Alright, I'll show you around the city another day. Now let's find a place to stay."

Varanasi is also a tourist city with many hotels, including some high-end ones.

For security reasons, Ron arranged for them to stay at the best hotel in the city and left two bodyguards for them to use.

He needed to go back to his hometown in the countryside first; how could he dare to take Mary and the others deep into the rural area before he had made proper arrangements?

The Sue family lives in the suburbs of Varanasi, less than ten kilometers from here, and Ron had already notified his family in advance.

His parents are both dead, but there are still many members of his family.

While in Mumbai, Ron didn't contact his hometown much, only making a phone call before returning.

When he brought Nia to meet him at the agreed place, he couldn't hold back his emotions as soon as he arrived.

(End of this chapter)