An undated photograph of Bhakti Mehta Khatri’s grandparents (seated at the head of the table), enjoying a meal with friends and family in Cairo

In 1926, en route its journey from Sudan to India, a liner halted at a port in Egypt. A young Gujarati gentleman named Nautamlal Tejpal, who was aboard the ship — returning to home turf after helping a cousin set up business — alighted and fell in love with the sprawling Egyptian land. He decided to stay back and set up a business of trading spices in Cairo. He married an Indian woman and migrated his family to the Egyptian capital, which became home for his progeny, including his granddaughter, Bhakti Mehta Khatri.