Tuesday of the shortcuts.

Today we walked through an authentic Rajasthani village as part of our shortcuts drive. It is amazing how the world of bottled water and cold drinks on call changes just as you exit the highway. We walked through a village called Maadho ka bas and then onto another one called Devan. They had those typical village scenes made so popular by the hindi movies. Sylvan surroundings, women carrying fodder on their head with long ghungats covering their faces, small children scurrying about in sleepy village squares and people coming out en masse to look at us wondering what we were doing on a road that led practically from nowhere to nowhere else. Yes but there were roads – some were tar roads others were concreted ones but the villages we went to were well connected for sure.

Older children in all hues of school uniforms walking determinedly in a particular direction. On being asked were their school was all seemed to say deval – which we discovered just 3 kilometers down the road was Devan and it housed some nine schools. We had a lovely time sitting in the village square with Swati and Sarry quizzing every passing student about their class and what subjects they studied. Word must have spread about some strange women questioning the passing students because their flow slowed down to a trickle.Then the teachers started coming in – and it was their turn.” what subjects do you teach ? do they give you pay commission scales here ? Are there computers in your school?” this could have gone on for much more time had Swati not been stumped by a teacher telling her he taught “science subjects” – on being quizzed further he revealed that he taught General science to classes nine and ten and Political science to class eleven!!!!

Then began the educate the girl child campaign – every girl who came up on the road to look at the cap and jeans wearing women was subjected to questions of why she was not going to school and her mother asked to send her to school immediately. We were duly rewarded for this by some lovely butter milk from one of the households. The warmth all around was incredible as was their fascination for the digital camera. Women would run around shyly, men would puff out their chests and both would squeal in delight on being shown their images on the display. Wish there was some way we could have printed those pictures and given them to them. As I and Mangesh were getting photographed with the man of the house his wife seemed to want to be photographed too and so Aakanksha asked her to move closer to get into the frame. She very reluctantly moved closer till she was about one foot from me – and the dirty stares she got for that were not funny!!! Hope the husband did not divorce her for infidelity.

We gained miles by the shortcuts , we shifted base to Jaipur , we gained by the presence of Kshitij –( Mangesh and Swati’s college going son) who at six feet something could be bodyguard, driver and major morale booster for everybody particularly for Aakanksha didi who since his arrival has been in higher spirits. Sarita is also adding miles to her kitty and does not flinch even at doing 12-15 kilometers at a stretch. To my mind it has been a major cardio vascular test for her and this could be the blessing of the trip.

We however lost in the evening an important wicket in Mangesh the colonel of the our regiment who got taken down with fever. He may not now walk for the next two days at the least even if his fever comes down. If the fever continues he may have to even go back home which would be tragedy of tremendous proportions since he has been the backbone of the whole trip from day one. Wait and watch is the policy till tomorrow morning.

We did a major calculation and found that I now need 140 kilometers over four days to get to the temple. It is achievable at a steady 40 kilometers a day .I have done that on most days till now but have been blessed with nice hotel rooms to retire too. This next stretch from jaipur to Ajmer is such that at least on one day I will have to be on the road all day and that in this heat can be killing.

We continue to eat mostly food bought from outside promising ourselves tat all the loads of things we got from home would be need from the next day- they seem fated to get the tables groaning again when we return.