Riddles in the Sand

“Don’t play in the rain”, screamed my mother while we were packing our luggage to embark on a journey to the Thar desert.

I had completed Upper Kinder Garden and was excited about travelling especially because this was the first time I was flying.

Gliding through the fluffy clouds we landed in Rajasthan. The name itself was resonating in my ear, felt majestic. It was hot but I could not feel the sweat and everything was very brown. Though my eyes were searching for some green , they soon realised it was the colourful clothes and the golden sands that it should be looking for.

We stayed at the Guest house in Jaisalmer Town. Travelling in a jeep we set off to San Sand Dunes about 20-30 km away. It was a new world for me, a sea of sand with floating forts, captivating music, vibrant clothes and a lot of bangles and scary nose-rings. Halting beside a village, the children came running up to us; later we entered a tiny round hut like any other hut in the locality with decaying thatched roof. The door was big enough for me but not for my mother which quite surprised me. It was amusing to note how the villagers had made the pavements, floor and walls with only mud. The white paintings bordering the doors and windows kept my mind busy for a long while.

Let loose in an expanse of sand, the camel was in charge. I believe it knew one sand grain from another. Finally after the ride I got to set foot on the heavenly sand. ‘Am I sinking?’, I could not understand or comprehend it ; with so much difficulty I climbed a sand dune and rolled down. The feeling was overwhelming. I kept repeating this like an insane animal until my body collapsed and the sand engulfed me.

That night we camped in a tent, a lonely spirit in the emptiness of the night. I stayed in my father’s arms all the while. The prints on the carpets and cushions danced with the flames. One by one the shy stars slowly shone through a gaping hole at the top of the tent throwing colour to the hookahs placed in a corner. The serenity grew more profound with the stillness of the desert. I sat silent contemplating the day’s events sipping hot camel milk.



Shobitha Jacob