Category Archives: Part 3

Damian

Damian is not only my uncle but he will also be my father-in-law soon. As per Indian tradition I shall move to the house of my in-laws soon. Damian is a real Aussie man with tattoos, white skin and blond hair. He loves fishing, motorbikes and loud music. I can imagine him young on a surf board or scuba diving but when I met him he had been a bit more settled already. He came to our house often when I was a kid. Then we moved to Mumbai and we could not hang out so often. What I would say about uncle Damian is that he is a lot deeper than you would think at first sight. He needs a few drinks (kingfishers) before he opens ups but then he can actually be quite chatty and charming. I would say he is a manly man with a soft touch. My sister Leyla told me he cried at my mum’s funeral. Well, that shows how much he valued her friendship and that he missed her.

 

Astrid

“Auntie” (and soon-to-be my mother-in-law) Astrid has always been a very strong help in my life. Since I never met my mother, Astrid was the female role model that I needed when growing up. She is strong, intelligent and very warm. Astrid left her family together with her husband Damian in 2012 when they started a world trip from Australia. Who would have thought that they would fall in love with Kerala and return to live there?

If you wonder why she is my soon-to-be mother in law I recommend you start reading the first chapters of Double Happiness. You might find an indication there.

Big hugs

VMS

Mohamed

Mohamed is Samir’s best friend since childhood. He initially meets him for a weekend in Europe but later he gets arrested for a terrorist attack in Tunisia. Obviously, he is innocent but he stays in detention for a long time. Mohamed is a very loyal person. He supports Samir and protects him throughout the novel. He is also one good Muslims who cares for his religion and follows the rules. Mohamed is a true friend and good soul. May God protect and bless him.

The Raja of Alipura

The Raja of Alipura is Raj’s father and by birth he is a real Raja. He is powerful because he also has made it big in Indian politics. In the first part of “Double Happiness” we do not know too much about the Raja. I do not want to spoil the surprise but let me tell you that he is a very strict father and has high expectations of his son. Mainly, like most ambitious men, he wants his son to follow in his foot steps.

If the Raja would be played by a bollywood actor I’d vote for Amitabh Bachchan, one of my all-time fav’s. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VBlp-jaHGE

Samir

Uncle Samir Wardi is my mother’s first husband. He is connected to our family through matters of fate for the whole novel. Samir somehow cannot let go of my mother even though he knows she has fallen in love with Arjun and that there is no way back. He wants to have a career in politics in his home country but gets into a political conflict that follows him until the end of his life. Samir seems to be weak first but he has resilience in him and charisma that will help the world in the end.  Without saying too much I also heard from trustworthy sources that Samir is a good father even though some of his children did not see much of him when they were younger.

I still like his accent when he speaks English but by now he is fluent in Urdu and Hindi so we hardly speak English anymore at our family gatherings. This could be a role for a big B’wood star like Aamir Khan. Tell him you want him to play this role here >> http://www.aamirkhan.com/index.php