Princess Aouda Gupta in 1872.
Aouda Gupta (1841-1920) was an Indian princess and adventurer.
Biography[]
Auoda Gupta was born in India in 1841. She was the daughter of a Bombay Parsi merchant, she was married against her will to the old raja of Bundelkhand.
In 1872, her husband died. Aouda was about to be sacrificed by her husband's relatives and other people of their society as a sati at her husband's funeral pyre. She was saved by the British adveturer and aristocrat Phileas Fogg and his French butler Jean Passepartout.
Fogg attempted simply to deliver her to relatives along the way on his trip. However, when that proved impossible, she was their permanent companion who became more and more attracted to the intriguing and noble Fogg as she shared in the adventures. When they finally reached Britain and appeared to have arrived too late to meet the deadline, Aouda feared that she ruined Fogg by causing him delayed in his journey, although he firmly denied she was a problem. Now in love with the gentleman and also wishing to help him in his impoverishment, Aouda proposed to Fogg, and he joyously accepted.
As it turned out, that gesture by Aouda saved the day for them all for it prompted Passepartout to discovered that by traveling east, they inadvertently arrived in London a day early and now had just enough time to sprint to the Reform Club to win the wager. The company set off for the club and arrived just in time.
Afterward, Aouda offered to end the engagement since the original motivation had been removed. However, Fogg, deeply in love and grateful for all Aouda was and had done for him, would not hear of it and they were happily married with Passepartout having the honor of giving her away at the wedding.
Fogg died in 1898. Aouda never married another man and she died widow in 1920.