Living the (high) life
. . . in a Royal penthouse
WALKING into the penthouse suite on the 11th floor of the Nepaul-owned Royal Towers, one is immediately captivated by the breathtaking view of Durban’s skyline.
This is the home of Abigail Nadar Nepaul, her attorney husband Anand Nepaul and their two daughters – Azuri, 3 and 8-month-old Careira.
Nadar Nepaul, 35, a former Lotus FM presenter, attorney and motivational speaker, opened up about life, love and everything in between, including her opulent penthouse, which she says she never takes for granted.
“As a little girl, I would often take pictures at the famous Dick King statue, as well as the harbour just down the road from here. Now I wake up to that view every morning. It is a reality I’m grateful for every day.”
She married Anand seven years ago and refers to him and their daughters as the pinnacle of her happiness.
“My girls and my husband are my world. Nothing is more important to me than they are,” said Abigail, immaculately dressed in sporting coral and gold.
Her home, embodying neutral shades with a splash of colour, is simple and elegant.
There’s a fusion of modern contemporary and Indian culture, courtesy of interior designer Stanley Oshry.
Graphite, champagne and silver tones dominate the space in her master bedroom – where a row of mirrors adds pizazz, and a bright pink chaise adds a spot of femininity.
Abigail’s wardrobe is also impressive – with rows of eastern wear, ball gowns, handbags and shoes – with the most expensive being one of her Swarovski encrusted cream and gold shararas.
She showed off her first pair of Louboutins and a signature Louis Vuitton handbag purchased in India. “They still remain my favourites.”
Equally impressive, if not more, is the garage where three sexy sports cars are lined up – a red Ferrari California, a silver Mercedes-Benz SLK and a Porsche 911 Carrera, as well as the family utility vehicle, a Range Rover Evoque. There is no doubt this power couple have a fetish for the finer things in life.
After the tour, she sat poised and spoke about meeting her husband at a seminar, where he had introduced himself to her.
“He asked me if I knew his cousin and we got chatting. We dated for six years until we got married.”
She admitted it was challenging dating a man so busy with work, but they spend quality time together on overseas trips to countries including India, Egypt, Singapore, Bali, Mauritius and the Maldives.
“The Maldives is a bucket list sort of place. It is tranquil and serene, absolute bliss in every way.”
She said her spouse was not the conventional romantic, but rather traditional, even when it came to proposing.
“He held a meeting with both our parents and asked for my hand in marriage. And while it wasn’t the getdown-on-one-knee type of proposal, it was just perfect,” she smiled as she reminisced.
But for Abigail, a lifechanging moment was meeting his three children from a previous marriage.
“I was rather anxious to see if we would get along. It was a wonderful meeting and one that I hold dear in my heart to this day.”
One of the many things she loved about her husband, she said, was that he made eating together a priority, with his favourite dish being her home-made roast lamb.
Asked about a typical day, she said: “I get up at 5am, meditate, journal and pray. I then start breakfast and prepare lunch, bathe, feed both girls, serve hubby his breakfast, take Azuri to playschool then return and work at the home office for about four hours.
“I then fetch Azuri at noon, feed both girls lunch, attend talks or meetings or spend quality time and bathe them before starting dinner. We eat at around 7pm, and the girls are in bed at 8pm. I read for an hour every night.”