“Wedding on the Maharaja Express” by Prakhar Vishwani
The title of Prakhar Vishwani’s debut, Wedding on the Maharaja Express, evokes the classic mystery Murder on the Orient Express. Both, indeed, feature an eclectic cast of characters and a murder on a luxurious train, yet unlike Agatha Christie’s romantically disinterested detective Hercule Poirot, Vishwani’s protagonist Vir Malhotra is head over heels in love with Vani Mehra.
In the next twelve hours, I was supposed to marry the girl of my dreams, my childhood crush, on the world’s grandest train, but fate had different plans.
Growing up, Vir and Vani were classmates, but much to his dismay, when they entered secondary school, Vani started dating a bully named Kunal. Their relationship lasted fifteen long years until one day they suddenly broke up, and Vani became single again just shy of her 30th birthday. At this point, her parents take matters into their own hands and set up a “marriage audition” with the Malhotras.
Even though everyone seems excited about the match, especially Vir, Vani doubts she is ready to get married, simply because she cannot imagine loving anyone other than Kunal. But she begins to change her mind when her ultra-wealthy best friend Biyanca offers to throw her the fairytale wedding ceremony she had been dreaming of. She asks Vani:
Will you be ready if you had a royal wedding on the most luxurious train in the world?
And so, a wedding planner is hired, and the details of an intercity celebration on the Maharaja Express are finalised. Depicted by an illustrated map in the book, their itinerary stretches through eight cities, from Delhi to Varanasi. Vir and Vani’s nuptials begin with boarding festivities at Safdarjung Station, and Vishwani’s rich descriptions of the setting are reminiscent of scenes from Bollywood movies.
The iconic blue tin roof and steel pillars of all Indian stations were wrapped in pastel fabrics—roses and marigolds hung from the ceiling, making it look as though flowers were raining down and turning the entire station into the entrance of a royal banquet.
As guests arrive, the extended family members are cleverly introduced to each other, and the reader, through a lively song performed by dhol drummers. As they depart the station, despite the celebratory atmosphere and the opulence of the train, there is a sense of foreboding.
The carpets were indeed clean, suspiciously spotless, inviting an impending doom of sorts. It’s like a person going out on Holi wearing a pristine white top.
There is no shortage of intrigue along the way: unexpected guests appear at inopportune times, gossip spreads among passengers, and Vir’s father prepares for his company to go public. The juxtaposition of the traditional and modern also add tension to the storyline. Desperately wanting to impress Vani, Vir plans dates with the help of ChatGPT and selects outfits based on images from Pinterest; meanwhile, the family consults experts in astrology, numerology, and Vastu for guidance.
Despite everything, Vani continues to wonder if she can really marry Vir, with her journal entries revealing her hesitation to fall in love again and a persistent fear of disappointing everyone. After their date in Jaipur, Vir senses her doubts, reassuring her:
You don’t have to be anything you’re not. But give me five days. Just five, till we reach Varanasi for the marriage. And if, after these five days, you still feel the same … I’ll call the whole thing off myself.
As the train speeds towards Varanasi, the clock ticks on Vir’s quest for Vani’s heart, and a brutal murder looms on the horizon. Ultimately, it is the vibrant combination of comedic family drama, playful romance and atmospheric mystery which makes Murder on the Maharaja Express an engaging escapade from start to finish.
