A room being spruced up for Sonia. Picture by Surajit Roy

Malda, April 25: A fare befitting the menu of any five star hotel.

Bekti in banana leaves, prawn Malay curry and steamed hilsa in mustard sauce on the main course with a host of Swiss salads and, coolers like mango sherbet and fruit juice, keeping in mind the summer temperatures that Malda is famous for.

But the hosts are unhappy. The guest might spend only 15 minutes when she visits them on April 28. The visit is a tribute to the former Congress minister, who had once invited her to his house when he was alive.

The only hope of the Khan Chowdhurys — the family of the late MP and Congress patriarch A.B.A. Ghani Khan Chowdhury — is that Sonia Gandhi, the UPA chairperson, might have already heard that their sister Ruby Noor is a good cook.

“She will be helped by my wife Rupkhan. The food will be a mix of Continental and Bengali cuisine. Our sister is famous for her cooking,” said Malda MP Abu Hasem Khan Chowdhury, one of the two brothers of Ghani Khan. Rupkhan Chowdhury, who is of Swiss origin, will be in charge of the salads.

Abu Naser Khan Chowdhury, the other sibling who lives in Switzerland, has flown down to just be present on the occasion. “The menu was decided after much thought,” said Ruby Noor, the district president of the Congress.

The Khan Chowdhury residence has been preparing for the visit for several days. A new air-conditioning system has been installed in the room that has been done up for Sonia. Pictures of the Gandhi family have also been strung up on the walls of the room. Many of the pictures have Ghani Khan in the frame.

The siblings are, however, worried that Sonia might not spend much time with them. “We have been told by Delhi that she will be with us for 15 minutes,” said Abu Hasem. He has written to Sonia, asking her to spend a little more time with them.

According to the schedule, Sonia will address a public meeting in Murshidabad at 9.30am and then another at 10.30am in Sujapur, 18km from here. After that, she will visit the Khan Chowdhurys, walking about 100 metres from the helipad, which is being made especially for the purpose, to the mausoleum built over the mortal remains of the former Congress leader. After lunch, Sonia will fly back to Delhi with a stopover in Patna.

Members of the Special Protection Group (SPG) today inspected the security aspects at Kotwali. The SPG has allowed only six persons to be with Sonia during her visit.

“PCC president Priya Ranjan Das Munshi, Pranab Mukherjee and the four of us will be present,” said Ruby Noor.