Talk of the Town : Jaisalmer diaries

If you could remember the description of an ideal town portrayed in the storybooks of your primary school, you'd recall the mesmerizing illustration of a flatland. Concise, organised and populated ever so neatly that if viewed from a location high enough would reward you with the sight of the entirety of the town.

With a railway station at one end and an airport at the other, along with the juxtaposition of humbly clustered residential area and a few historical landmarks in between; standing there you could see the entire town living and breathing, it's past and present. That was Jaisalmer for me.

But what else, apart from the grandeur of a celebrated past makes up the integrity of a town? The People! I’ve been traversing across various cities in India but it was the people of Jaisalmer who restored my waning faith in benevolence. Jaisalmer was my favourite winter destination owing to my fascination with History and ancient culture. From dancing through the galleries of the majestic Golden Fort to watching the sunset while rowing through the lovely Gadisar Lake, my first day of the trip concluded complacently.

However, right when you begin to believe that you have everything figured out, life unfolds a sour surprise on you. On the very next day, on my way to the Thar desert an accident happened. The moments that followed that incident are still hazy to me but I vividly remember that around 50 people gathered and each one of them took charge of taking care of my belongings and calling the Ambulance. Nobody was ready to leave my side even in the hospital. I kept getting baskets of fruits, juices and medicines anonymously. While I became able enough to go back to hotel, my hospital bills were paid and a cab was already waiting for me. Almost on the verge of tears I looked back at them and said “ You are the kindest people I have ever met.” To which a local replied “madam hamara chota sa seher hai, hum ek dusre ki madad nahi karenge toh kaun karega” roughly translates to “Ours is a small city Madam and we survive by helping each other.” They gave me the strength to carry on with my plans and their love somehow made the physical pain I was going through endurable enough.

I went on with felicity in my heart and a new found aspect of life I had always overlooked. A couple of days later while visiting the haunted village Kuldhara near Jaisalmer, a man with rainbow coloured turban came to me and asked if I was the girl who met with an accident few days back. Surprised as to how the accident of a mere tourist became the talk of the town, I asked him how he came to know about it. “madam hamara chota sa seher hai”, he replied. And I left Jaisalmer the next day with those words etched in my heart.