This was my view from the Taj. The Taj does not refer to the Taj Mahal which is hundreds of kilometres away in the City of Agra. But to Taj Lands End, the incredible 5 star hotel at the far end of Bandra West that overlooks the Arabian Sea. The place known as Bandra Bandstand.
We were in a taxi, and Ashish was making call after call to the Taj Lands End. Our next hotel was to be a giant leap up from the dreaded Medina.
Ashish had requested both an early check-in and a late check-out, which I had no idea was a thing, and he was currently trying to get customer service to confirm the request. I thought it was all quite funny, but didn’t say this to Ashish as he seemed quite frustrated.
After the taxi, it was back on the train – as crazy as ever – then off the train and straight into another taxi. Imagine travelling across London without the underground.
Finally, we arrived and dropped our luggage in the outstanding lobby of the Taj Lands End. The security for entering the place was almost as intense as an airport with the positive difference being that the security officials of the Lands End were the most polite and friendly security I have ever encountered, putting their hands together and greeting you with a small bow and a “namasde” as you throw your bag on the conveyor belts and walk through the metal detector. For the following few hours we went our separate ways. Ashish was intent on fighting for his early check-in, but I didn’t feel like waiting around. I went for breakfast in the Taj Mahal Teahouse.
I can’t remember what this was called but I’d describe it as an extremely fancy veggie burger. Some very delicious bread filled with gorgeous grilled Mediterranean vegetables with a dead spicy mint sauce.
After supping in the pleasantly dark teahouse, (and knocking back some filter coffee) I headed back to the Taj Lands End to see whether Ashish had been successful in his early check in.
To my frustration, my pictures of the hotel room itself are missing. Did I even take any? You would have thought so, as I took one of the enormous bathroom. (It’s bigger than even the picture makes out and was equipped with a set of double doors. Nothing short of magnificent. And the view we had matched that magnificence. There was a couch and a coffee table by the enormous window overlooking the Arabian sea. Four large glasses of mineral water were present on the bedside tables, and there were cupboards and drawers packed full of brazenly overpriced wines beers and biscuits.
I questioned how exactly I had ended up in such a luxurious place and felt indignant at myself at splashing out on something that went so deeply against the grain of my plans and budget. But then I was overtaken by the luxury of it all and reminded myself that two nights ago I slept on the ground, and when else if not now, would I get the chance to stay at the Taj Lands End in Mumbai? Looking at things in perspective, I was being too hard on myself. With the discount Ashish got on the room through his work, split in half between the two of us, I was only paying £50 to stay a night in this incredible place. Surely I will never get the chance to stay in a 5 star hotel so cheaply again…
I treated myself to seafood pasta by the pool, accompanied by two glasses of Indian Sauvignon Blanc. Once I’d wined and dined myself, I tiptoed through the dark to the edge of the pool where I promptly submerged myself.
Tonight, a violent wind had sprung up from nowhere. It stirred the swimming pool, massing the water against me as I swam its circumference. I quickly felt drained. When I stopped for breath, my chest felt tight, my body cold. My brain a bundle of anxiety, a ball of cotton unraveling further and further the more I swam. I couldn’t put my finger on what was bothering me…
