Personally I really like the Himalaya for the most part, except for the converter. (Which is why my recommendation is for the Jaipur)

In terms of guzzling ink, this is both normal and necessary for a flex nib, at least up to a point. Without sufficient ink flow, the pen will railroad, which is the most common failure mode for flex/semiflex pens.

In terms of "softness", is the issue with the tactile feel, or that it flexes too easily (which most flex users would consider a feature, usually), or that it lacks sufficient springback to get hairlines? I don't find the FPR's ultraflex nibs to be extremely soft relative to other flex nibs, but there is also sample variation to consider.

If you write with a very heavy hand, this could be part of the problem, in which case there might just be a period of adjustment to using a lower amount of force.

One thing you might try is adjusting the nib and feed, for example, you might try setting it up so that the nib sits a bit further back in the section. This will reduce the amount of flex you can get, but might improve consistency. Heat setting the feed also often helps performance, but if you arlready have more than adequate flow, this might be unnecessary.

Re: ink, good performance in a flex pen will vary from ink to ink, and basically the trick is to find a fast-flowing and viscous ink that is not prone to excessive feathering. Personally, my favorite ink for flex writing is J. Herbin Lie de The.