The restaurant appeared somewhat disheveled due to the guests' previous dining activities. Fortunately, most people had finished eating and placed their utensils by their plates.
Upon seeing this, the waitstaff began clearing away the messy plates and preparing for the next event.
Indian banquets have their own unique characteristics, especially those that are not particularly formal. These reflect much of the local traditional customs, such as the performance segment that was about to begin.
Soon, a group of performers took the stage and began their dance routine. The performance was a group dance, lively, bustling, and uniquely captivating.
It must be said that Indian dances are indeed distinctive. The performers were actually Bollywood backup dancers, known as "extras" in China, but their dance skills were undoubtedly professional!
Watching the performance while chatting with a few people nearby, Liang En and his companions felt as if they were in a grand dance scene from an Indian musical film.
In a way, the inclusion of numerous song and dance sequences in Indian films is not purely a scriptwriter's fabrication but a slightly exaggerated reflection of reality.
The song and dance segments continued wave after wave, and many guests, who were enjoying themselves, went up to showcase their dance moves. Few Indians do not know how to dance, so singing and dancing at such informal banquets is quite common.
The party lasted until midnight, with two rounds of food and drinks. Given the long duration and the need for intermittent singing and dancing, more food was essential to stave off hunger.
The next morning at ten, after having breakfast delivered to their rooms, they headed straight to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, formerly known as the Prince of Wales Museum.
According to the previous plan, they were to finalize the transfer of the artifacts, thereby completing the task entrusted to them by the Golden Dawn.
"Honestly, your dance last night was fantastic." Liang En, using French which the driver couldn't understand, said to Jeanne since Fan Meng was off escorting the artifacts. "Have you learned it before?"
"No, of course not," Jeanne shook her head. "In my time, entertainment options were very limited, so dances like these were one of the few forms of amusement we had."
Of course, the dances in the French countryside during her time were vastly different from Indian dances, but for Jeanne, whose body had been repeatedly strengthened, mimicking others' moves wasn't difficult.
Aside from the initial professional dances, the subsequent ordinary Indian dances weren't hard to learn. Even Liang En could pick them up after watching a few times.
The journey was smooth, possibly because they only traveled through wealthy areas. In other districts, the streets would be lined with various vendors.
For those who have traveled in India, the persistent vendors are often considered one of the worst aspects of their travel experience.
Worse still, some of these vendors aren't genuinely trying to sell goods but use their presence to distract and steal money from tourists.
However, the area Liang En and his companions passed through was different. Compared to the chaos in many other places, this area resembled a high-end community in a Western city.
If not for the tropical plants and the scorching sun, it might have looked like a British city.
As Britain's most important colony, India retains many British influences, even the museum's area, named Wellington Circle, has a distinctly British flavor.
The museum, a century-old building constructed between 1904 and 1914, was named after the then Prince of Wales, who laid its foundation stone in 1905.
The museum officially opened in 1921, marking its centenary this year. In this sense, the building itself is an artifact and part of India's history.
Surrounded by beautiful gardens, the museum was designed by British architect George Wittet, who also designed the famous Gateway of India. The main structure, built with basalt and featuring a grand marble dome, is particularly magnificent.
The museum boasts rich collections, mainly housing precious artifacts from different regions and historical periods of India, divided into sections of art, archaeology, and natural history, with Mughal Empire paintings being the most exquisite.
The artifacts Liang En and his team brought were to be placed in the art and archaeology sections. However, for now, they would be stored in the warehouse for categorization, protection, and identification.
With only about twenty artifacts, it took less than half an hour to classify and store them. Then, they began their tour guided by accompanying staff.
The Indian artifacts were displayed according to their types, such as the sculpture gallery and the Indian bronzes and decorative arts gallery.
Artifacts from other countries were arranged by their origins, like the East Asia gallery for Chinese and Japanese artifacts and the Himalayan art gallery for Nepalese and Bhutanese artifacts.
"Indian artifacts look very cheerful," Jeanne observed, "but honestly, I find it hard to understand how they can feel such joy."
"That's because the world Indian people live in and the world in their minds don't coincide," Liang En explained, using Indian movies as an example to explain Indian customs. "Unlike Korean films which often have a certain inclination, Indian films are more like fairy tales."
In China, Indian films are called "miracle dramas" because they contain many exaggerated elements. Indians know they are unrealistic, but they enjoy the self-entertainment.
This might be related to traditional culture and religious doctrines, where the world is seen as a dream and life as a journey, a dream. To Indians, real secular life is the biggest illusion and falsehood.
Thus, even when facing poverty and hunger, Indians can maintain a sunny attitude towards life, which is unique to this nation.
On the other hand, this also highlights the terrifying degree of caste system and class solidification in India, where no matter how hard one tries, the future seems bleak, so they seek solace in illusions.
These sentiments are reflected in the artifacts, leaving Liang En and his companions with much to ponder.
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