Finally to Jaipur, and onset of Home Sweet Home feeling (1 Jan 2016)

Dedicated to my grandsons Ashwin, Rishi and Rohan

RAJASTHAN CALLING  -  Part 8 (Concluding)

Finally to Jaipur, and onset of Home Sweet Home feeling (01 Jan 2016)

The train arrives at Jaipur at 4.50 in the morning and halts for a short while. In order that we stay ready to alight with all the luggage during that short period, I asked Ashutosh if we should set the alarm for 4.30.  “No, uncle, relax. We will keep it for 4.45; all that it takes is five minutes.”  “No different from my easy-going elder son Shankar ”, I said to myself, at his casualness juxtaposed to my over preparedness. ‘Generation gap, old man,’ I reminded myself.  But to Ashutosh I said, “yes, that is fine.” I knew many passengers would get down at Jaipur, and surely some would set their alarm for 4.30.  And that is what exactly happened.

During the travel, the co-traveller, a retired senior Government official,  gave us tips on the historical places to visit, restaurants to choose, and shops to select. “Insist on 15% discount,”  he warned us, “and if they are unwilling ring me up, I will fix it.” Backed with that assurance we went on for some lighter moments. He asked Gungun and Mannu some riddles. “His own grandchildren must have cornered him with these,” I guessed. Gungun and Mannu could not solve any of them. Nor could the four of us elders, pretending not to be part of it. When he won hands down thrice, Gungun and Mannu bounced back with their own riddles. He felt ill at ease, and discreetly turned to us to broach politics.

Whatever foolproof travel arrangements one might make, we should always be prepared for something less. Ashutosh had insisted on a Toyota Innova with a carrier on top at all pick-up points. But here we got one without a carrier. Consequently the suitcases had to be stuffed into the rear row and Gungun had to make-do with them for the rest of the day. Mannu was transferred to the middle row.

Jaipur was the solitary travel point where we did not check into a hotel. Ashutosh had earlier argued, “We don’t need to, because all that we need is a shower, freshen up and set out for our last leg at around 9 am.” So he made arrangements with his cousin at her place. She had set aside a room and two bathrooms for us. We had plans to have breakfast outside, but she just wouldn’t let us. We had some matchless parotas - alu, gajar, and gobi, followed by two kinds of home-made sweets. 

It was now stock-taking time before we caught the evening flight. The ladies realized, much to their dismay, that there were still a lot of items for shopping. Therefore the focus for Jaipur would be shopping, shopping and shopping. No more fort other than just the Amber or Amer fort. This involved an uphill drive. The old jeep would stop often at high elevations to give way to the downhill traffic. Fear gripped my mind whether the tyres would lose grip and roll backwards. Sitting in front with the side open, I held the handle tightly - almost a cliff-hanger feeling. By the time we completed a round of the fort, it was 2 pm.  “Over to LMB (Laxmi Misthan Bhandar),”  announced Ashutosh, meaning the recommended restaurant. After a wait of about fifteen minutes we were accommodated to have our last lunch in Rajasthan. Thereafter it was time for shopping till 5.30 pm. Ruchi and Amma were more active during this session, as Ashutosh and I helped them carry their new acquisitions. 

During the drive to the airport, we heard the ladies whispering, “I think we should come to Jaipur once again. We just could not do justice to shopping.” At the airport, I opened my medicine kit and helped myself with a paracetamol tablet. Amma too. Ashutosh saw us and said, “Give me one too.” We said it was not Cadbury’s gem, but a tablet for headache and fever.” “I know, and I need one.”

While waiting at the lounge, mentally we were already in Bangalore. “Tomorrow there is this couple’s cricket match in Srishti. We must get up early,” Ruchi and Ashutosh told each other. “Also class test for Gungun…”  Amma said, “I have to attend Narayaneeyam recitation tomorrow morning,” “Yes, I too have to sleep till 9 am tomorrow, and give the morning-walk a slip for a week to overcome the strain of fort-climbing at all places.”  I was surrendering more to the dictates of my mind (my worst enemy), than to the body which reassures me unfailingly, “just give me a good night’s sleep, and I am back in action the next morning.”

We reached Bangalore at 10.30 night, opened our door with a Home Sweet Home feeling.  We were happy equally that no fans, lights or the water taps were on - a doubt that always haunts our minds when on a tour.