It was a hot sunny day in the month of February. As the scorching heat receded and the sunset approached, I went to my favorite evening hideout. There is this ancient stepwell (Baori) called Toorji Ka Jhalra in the old city where I often go in the evening for some quiet introspection. For the past few days though, the visits have been more frequent, not to mention the increased amount of time that I’ve been spending there lately. I don’t even know why I have been going there every day since last Friday or what I’m going to achieve through my regular visits in the evening. But there is something that’s drawn my attention quite recently. And although my brain will never admit, my heart knows deep down inside that it’s the very reason for my frequent visits to this place.
Oh, you must be wondering how the heck is it so hot in the month of February, right? Well, that depends on where the story begins. While most stories are usually nestled in isolated places and scenic locations, mine begins in the busy neighborhoods of Jodhpur. The desert city of India, the gateway to Thar, the blue city, the magical Marwar, Jodhpur is world famous with many such names. Well technically, I’m not originally from Jodhpur. My father lived in Bikaner and I’ve been born and brought up there. But Jodhpur has been my home for at least a decade now. It’s a different thing that I never really liked it. I always wanted to move out of this city but never got the chance to do so. The past few days, however, have been a little different as I’m suddenly feeling more connected to this city than ever.
As I arrived at the stepwell, I saw her once again sitting in the corner. She was all alone, reading a book, just as usual. I first saw her last Friday, sitting quietly at the stepwell, right in front of me. Toorji Ka Jhalra is a walled stepwell that spans a few hundred meters in width. In the middle of it is a pond that is deeper than you can imagine. Since she sat on the opposite side of the pond, I couldn’t see her properly that day. But then after a few minutes, as she stood to leave, she came closer after climbing the steps and crossing the intersection. It was then that I saw her properly and if I was to be honest with you, I couldn’t take my eyes off her. Even without makeup, she looked strikingly attractive. Wearing a low-cut tank top, rugged jeans, and flat white sneakers, she walked briskly down the stairs toward the complex in front of the Baori. But instead of entering it, she turned to her right and soon disappeared into the bustling streets of the old city. I thought I’d never see her again but I was wrong. I found her sitting there again the next day and the day after that.
It’s been five days now and we both have been coming here every day since. Needless to say, we haven’t met each other and it’s not likely to happen either. But honestly, to me, it doesn’t even matter. I know she was just passing by and she would leave this place, sooner or later, after which I’ll never see her again. All I want is to capture some of these moments while she’s here before she disappears.
Lost in thoughts, I almost forgot she would be coming here any moment now, and I’m sitting right in front of the place where she usually sits. I wonder whether or not she ever felt my presence here. I don’t think she ever noticed me in the first place. That’s when I felt a tap on my shoulder.
“Excuse me,” a female voice inquired.
As I turned around, my jaw fell and my heart skipped a beat. It was her.
“May I know who you are?” she looked indignant. And why you keep staring at me?
“Whaaa...ttt? Na..No,” I found it hard to speak. I never….did...I just....
“Don’t be smart, okay,” she said. I’ve been seeing you here for many days now. Tell me what’s the matter.
“Well, it’s not like that. I live just a few blocks away, and I’ve been coming here almost every evening, long before you arrived,” I bit my tongue as soon as I said the last four words.
“Oh, so you do admit that you’ve been watching me since the day I arrived,” she was quick this time. Is it just me or you keep ogling around here anyway?
“Whaaa...NOO! Of course not! It’s my father’s shop there in the Sardar market, near the clock tower. So after dropping his lunchbox off at the shop, I come and stay here for a while. J..just for a stroll, that’s it, I swear.
Her dark brown eyes stared into mine for a few seconds, and then they glazed over, inspecting me from head to toe, she looked aggrieved. But then all of a sudden, she exploded into laughter.
“It’s okay, I was just kidding,” she cackled. Look at your face, it’s gone pale already.
I couldn’t say anything and all I could do was smile like an idiot.
“My name’s Jhanvi,” she extended her hand.
It took me a few seconds to find my bearings and then I realized she still had her hand extended to me and it’s rude to reject a handshake. Besides, it was my turn to introduce myself.
“Kartik,” I said as we shook hands and I felt her soft, velvety skin rub gently against mine.
“So you’re a local resident, right? Can you help me find a shop where I can buy flavored tea” she asked. I’m leaving for Delhi tomorrow and I wanted to buy some before I leave.
I didn’t understand what to make of it. Should I be happy that the girl was finally talking to me, something that felt like a pipedream just a couple of minutes earlier? Or should I be sad that I’ll never see her again after this? For a moment I thought maybe I should initiate a small conversation, ask her a few questions you know, like where are you from? What sort of tea are you particularly interested in buying? Would you like me to take you to some of the finest tea sellers nearby? But that was none of my business. She clearly wasn’t interested in any more favor. Besides, Jodhpur is world-famous for its tea and spices, and it’s something that tourists often ask locals, in order to find the right place to shop.
“Yeah, of course. There are plenty of shops near the clock tower,” I said. Take the first gate when you reach the Ghantaghar Chowk and you’ll find the wholesale market, there’ll be quite a few shops to your left where you buy it.
“Oh, that’s great. Thank you so much,” she said as she turned to leave.
My gaze followed her as she walked away. But after taking a few steps, she suddenly turned back toward me and I pretended to look elsewhere.
“Hey Kartik!” she waved. Do you mind walking me to this tea shop? It’s all so confusing here.
For a moment, I wondered if it was me she was talking to, soon to realize that I was standing there like a stupid, not knowing what to say to her. And although I knew that someone from my neighborhood might spot us walking together, I obviously couldn’t say no.
I spent the next half an hour escorting her to different tea vendors near the clock tower and to my surprise, I didn’t come across anyone from my neighborhood. There was a chance that someone might have spotted the two of us together but that was cool as long as she was keeping a distance from me.
Despite the rapid urbanization and despite it being a major tourist hub, people in Jodhpur are increasingly conservative in their actions. That means no public display of affection and matter how warm it may get during the day, women must remain covered and must not wear small clothes. Outsiders, however (both Indians and foreigners) can be seen wearing jeans, tops, and even shorts, but it’s definitely not the best way to please the locals, especially in the old city.
So you see, in a city like Jodhpur, roaming with a girl like her is not a big deal. It was just about the way she was dressed. A camouflaged tank top and beige colored hotpants and white sneakers, she was looking hot as hell. There wasn’t a single person who wouldn’t give her a second look as she passed their way. And that was really my concern. Knowing that a lot of people in the market would recognize me at first glance. It meant that if someone spotted me with this girl, they might get the wrong impression, and then they would tell others and it would be the talk of the town soon enough.
“One of the negative aspects of living in a small town,” I thought. And not to mention, a big reason why I wanted to move out of this place for so long.
After a little bit of shopping, we were about to part ways but then she said she was hungry and asked for a nice place to eat nearby.
“Is there a good place to eat nearby? I’m starving,” she enquired.
“Well, it depends,” I said. On what kind of dish you want to try. In the Sardar market, you’ll find all sorts of food joints and rooftop cafes with beautiful views of the Mehrangarh Fort.
“Yeah, I’ve been to a couple of cafes but to be honest, I want to try some street food sort of thing,” she said. And since I’ll have dinner in the next couple of hours, I’d prefer some light snacks.
“Alright, so have you tried ‘Shahi Samosa’ yet?”
“No, what’s that?” She was curious.
“It’s something you shouldn’t miss while you’re in Jodhpur,” I said plainly. And you’re lucky, it’s just a five-minute walk from here.
“Awesome!” she exclaimed. Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go there.
“Arr...are you sure, you want me to join you there,” I sounded a bit hesitant. Or I can just drop you there and then leave.
“Are you in a hurry?” she asked.
“No,” I said.
“Do you have urgent work to do?”
“No”
“Is your girlfriend waiting for you to come and take her to a cafe or something?”
“Of course not,” I chuckled.
“Then what’s the big deal?” she quipped.
“Ahh… I mean...it’s just that,” I stuttered.
“Listen, you helped me find all these tea vendors and helped me buy some really good flavored tea here,” she said. It’s now my turn to return the favor, okay? Come on, it’ll be fun!
“Unless you don’t like my company, of course,” she made a funny face.
“No, it’s not like that,” I suppressed a smile, and then she stopped me mid-way.
“Well, then you’re coming with me, and that’s final,” she declared.
As we reached Arora’s shop to eat Shahi Samosa, I noticed that Jhanvi had drawn quite a bit of attention there. The lads there ogled her and the men stared at her bare legs with those lusty eyes. Jhanvi, however, seemed to be at ease with what she was doing.
“Wow! It’s so yum,” she said as she took the first bite of Arora’s shahi samosa.
“Told ya,” I smiled as I ate mine.
“Hmm. But it’s also a bit overly spicy,” she said and reached for the water.
“Yeah, of course, you see, Jodhpur is also famous for its diverse range of spices,” I explained and she said nothing.
“So you are from Delhi, right?” I ventured.
“No, from Mumbai actually,” she said. But I’ve been living in Delhi for the past few years.
“Okay. With your parents?” I asked casually.
There was a little silence as she stopped eating mid-way, “they kicked me out a year back,” she blurted, without a flinch as she focused on eating.
“What? Why would they do that,” I was baffled.
“Just some family issues,” she said, seeming less interested in the subject.
“I wasn’t going to fit into that shithole anyway,” she said, still focusing on her samosa. Had to focus on my career which I did and it finally paid off. Last month I got selected in Vistara airlines as a cabin crew. I had a one-week training program in Jodhpur and I’ll be flying to Dubai next week and then there are a few domestic trips lined up. So I guess it’s pretty much sorted.
“Well, that’s easy for you to say. But at least you should try and talk to them, tell them about your new job or something,” I wanted to say more but then I thought that was none of my business and decided otherwise.
“I don’t have to,” she said, still not looking me in the eyes. Besides, I’m in touch with my sister and we do talk every once or twice a month. Sometimes I talk to my mom also, but not that often.
“Okay. So have you told your sister about your new job?” I asked.
“Not yet. I’ll tell her soon enough,” she said as she finished her samosa and reached for the tissue paper.
“Alright Mr. Kartik,” she took her bag. I guess we’re done here. It was really nice meeting you.
“Likewise,” I said, not wanting to leave so early.
“Wh..where are you staying in Jodhpur by the way?” I asked, just to keep the conversation going for a little while. I.. I mean it’s getting dark and I can drop you off there if you want.
“That’s so sweet of you,” she smiled. But my hotel is just a few meters away. I’m staying at RAAS.
Then it was time for me to say goodbye. And although I knew it was to end this way, I wanted her to stay just a little longer. But then I knew there was no reason for her to stay.
“But in case you’re not in a hurry, maybe you can walk me there, what say?” she smiled.
I don’t know why, and for what reason, but the way she said that, it brought a fleeting smile on my dejected face.
To be continued....
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