Well, it’s not too often, but it’s neither seldom…
What is that odd feeling of melancholy staring at you, out of nowhere…
What is with innocent hearts, good deeds and a certain empathetic sadness that accompanies them…
A movie with a touching scene, an act of kindness or compassion and an innocent soul, all lead to the same end.
Tears!
………..…………………………………………
They just stumbled upon us. Michael and Ali. The duo of Camel and Camel Guide.
One a majestic beast, towering over us all and striped in a multi colored saddle. The other a small kid wearing a white jibba and pajama, giving us an intense glare.
His elder friend guided us to the duo and told us, “chotu” will take us to the sunset spot.
We climbed on the mighty camel and chotu, lead us on to the sunset point, atop a sand dune.
We talked little till then and as we neared the sunset point, the little guide started talking and asked us where we were from.
“From Chennai”, I replied and then I asked his name.
“Ali Khan”, he replied nonchalantly, guiding us on to the destination.
As we reached the place, Ali asked us if we would like some photos clicked and we were more than happy to hand over the camera to him, having clicked a few shaky pictures, perched precariously atop the towering camel.
Ali then set about clicking us, from various angles around us and returned the camera.
“The pictures have come out well”, he exclaimed, seriously.
“Should I drop you of here, or would you like to go on further “, he questioned us.
We were not too sure about, what to do. The 10 minute ride on the camel was scary and we were having double thoughts about the ride ahead.
“Drop us here”, we exclaimed.
“Are you sure”, Ali questioned.
After a minute of thinking, “Yes we are, drop us here”, we replied.
Without a response, he directed the camel to sit down and we were finally on our feet.
The sun was setting and we had about a couple of hours left, before it set.
Just then, another Camel Guide came up to us. We had met him on the way up. He must have realized our discomfort with the camel ride. He had a cart pulled by the camel.
He asked us if we wanted to go further. We told him no and we were quite confused. He pushed us on and spoke for about 10 more minutes. All the while, Ali was quietly watching us with a blank face, hugging and petting his camel’s hump.
One thing the new guide told did make sense, what’s the point of coming all the way here and not riding out into the desert. “What are you going to do for the next two hours” , he had asked.
So, with one final rush of blood, we decided we will ride out into the desert.
“Chalo then, let’s go”, we decided, looking back at Ali.
“Ali ke sath”, we told them both and gestured to Ali to get up.
The little guide, got up with a slight smile and asked me to sit in the front seat.
My friend was afraid of sitting in the rear seat as it did not have a handle, so he got on the front seat and we were out into the sunset.
A camel, it’s little guide and two wanderers.
There we started chatting up with Ali. He was more than eager to show us the various milestones along the way. The place where the old Indian border was, the place where the film border was shot and many more such intricacies.
As we went on, we realized that accepting to take this ride was the best decision we taken on that entire trip.
With the sunset on one side and the vast expanse of the desert in front of us, a chatty camel guide and a majestic camel on tow.
Truly a magical experience, the Desert Dunes of Jaisalmer.
Slowly Ali took us on. He took us up large Dunes, only to drop us down a steep slope on the other side. It was an insanely fun experience and the more we laughed at this journey, the more our little guide got happy.
Now, beaming from ear to ear and asking us how we are feeling.
We stopped in many places along the way, to click some pics and as always, for which Ali took a lot of pains to click to perfection.
As our little friend lead us on, in that journey that showed us the magical beauty of the desert in the embrace of the setting sun, on a camel he affectionately prodded and called Michael.
After more than a couple of hours in the desert, he asked us endearingly, “should we go back?”
“Sure, let’s go back”, we replied, drunk in the experience of ocular ecstacy.
“Let’s go see that musical performance and go back”, Ali lead us towards a group of traveling musicians.
“Take some videos nah”, he prodded us and we obliged.
Then slowly we made our way back to the sunset point. Ali proving on Michael forward and even gave us a taste of a ride, atop a running camel.
“Let us go to that isolated spot, you will get better pictures”, Ali said and took us to an isolated dune, a few meters from the first spot.
We still had half an hour of sunlight left and we were planning to make the most of it.
Chatting up with our little guide, we set our cameras to work. Our little guide, suggesting poses and angles to shoot from. He even took the phone from us and asked us to stand for a picture.
To put it in record, our little guide’s photos have cone out a lot better than most of our pictures.
Then we sat down, next to Michael and Ali stood next to us, looking out into the horizon. The camel, kept chewing something and bend down to lovingly bump Ali’s small head.
Ali then patted the camel on its head and whispered something in its ear. The human and beast, in an emotional embrace.
A scene that I shall never forget.
“Is this the first time you are coming to Jaisalmer”, Ali asked us, patting down Michael.
“Yes, first time”, we replied.
“How do you like it, was it fun”, he asked us this time enthusiastically, knowing well how much we enjoyed the trip. Everytime, we laughed out loud, during the ride, the little guy used to turn back and laugh along with us.
“We loved it, it’s one heck of a beautiful place”, we exclaimed back.
“Hahaha”, he smiled back at us.
Then slowly the sun, had finally set and we payed him the agreed amount, along with sone extra money for him.
“Shall we go back”, we asked him.
“Let’s go”, he replied and we got on to Michael. Michael rose to full height, at the touch of Ali and we were of towards the camp.
We came back to the camp and Michael set us down.
It was time for goodbyes. Our little guide was wishing us a great trip and saying goodbye.
We thanked him profusely and said our goodbyes.
Then, they were out into the vastness of the desert. The Camel and it’s little guide. We were both still glued to the spot, looking at the duo leave.
A few meters they would have traveled and then Ali turned around, and waved back at us.
We waved back and my heart skipped a beat.
It had happened again. I had fallen down that all so familiar path. The melancholy of farewells.
It had been only about four hours of interaction and I was missing this little kid, who had touched my life with his goodness and innocence.
As I pen this down and I sleep, waking up on a new day, the emotions would have settled, or so I hope.
Somethings will never change!
My Discovery of India 