Jaipur...

Before I get into the Jaipur episode, I would just like to say, I had put up a post on a social media site, casually asking if anyone had any sort of recommendations for Rajasthan. Within a few minutes I had so many responses, messages and calls. Turns out I knew tons of Mayo-ites in Bombay (we'll touch upon them and their beloved Alma-Mater eventually), and lets just say every Mayo-ite/Rajput knows the other. There's always a connection - that is something I found most fascinating and instantly loved about them.

So a kind friend in Mumbai got me in touch with his very helpful and hospitable classmate in Jaipur, thanks to whom I got a beautiful room at the Mandawa Haveli. It is a gorgeous place to stay, so peaceful and pretty, friendly yet non-intrusive staff, located perfectly between the main old city and the cool C-Scheme area. Oh and I must mention the yummiest grilled chicken sandwich I've eaten - ever! I look forward to checking out their other properties in their province Mandawa, hopefully very, very soon.

I got in touch with the only one person I knew in Jaipur. It was a shock for him too to have me there at such short notice, but I'd messaged him earlier and let him know I was reaching Jaipur in a few hours. I had no expectations and told him that we could meet whenever he was free, I had no plans as such and didn't expect him to stop work or alter his plans to show me around. I was fully easy, just coming to be. Regardless, he gathered his friends and we were headed to 'Steam' within an hour of me checking in. Steam is a really cool spot at the Taj Rambagh Palace Hotel. It's a bar in a restored steam engine train at a recreated Victorian train station! It felt surreal. I was amused, excited and gobsmacked at the same time. Oh golly, my vocabulary seems to be heading back in time too!!

The whole gang arrived, I was introduced to everyone, we indulged in our drinks and wood-fired pizza and as we spoke, laughed and joked, the roots of my love for this place started planting themselves firmly in the ground without me even realising it. Everyone was so lovely, so easy to get on with, I don't know how they felt, but for me, it certainly did not feel like it was the first time I was meeting any of them. It was as if we'd been friends for years and this was just another night out together, fully normal. The night progressed and moved to one of their homes, after which we called it a night at around 5 am. Not a bad start huh?




The next afternoon, I awoke and lazily strolled down to the pool. The staff were so concerned I didn't show up for breakfast, they made sure I ate and drank well. I listened to some nice Sunday chill lounge as I wrote in my diary (an everyday essential in my bag) and my phone beeped.





My friend picked me up, we went to his home where everyone else was. We watched tv and played cricket. Yes. The boys played cricket with me and were so supportive! I was Man of the Match even - good bowling and batting skills people (not because I was a guest or a girl). At the end of the evening my friend thought I was taking the piss because I kept thanking him repeatedly for letting me be a part of their evening and play with them.

Truth is, I really couldn't remember the last time I'd felt like a part of a normal home life, family and friend circle that played outdoor sports together. This is exactly what I was looking for. I was breathing, breathing with a smile, gratefully aware of it - without even caring about where my BFF phone was!!

The roots started growing deeper as day 2 started to peak to its end...

And Thus The Journey Began...

Except for calling my mother (I'd never hear the end of it if I didn't) I didn't call or text anyone to say goodbye. Not even my closest friends to let them know I'm leaving. Can't fathom why but I didn't feel the need to let anyone know I was going to be gone... for almost a month!

Everything seemed smooth and normal as I gazed at the sunset and the beautiful cloud play happening outside the planes' window, completely clueless about what I was doing, where I was going to. I mean I'd been to Jaipur several times for work or in transit to Ranthambore, Pushkar etc but I'd never really explored or seen it. I told myself not to think, not to expect anything. I told the Universe that I've surrendered, I'm giving up and just flowing with life. I was keen to see where it'd take me.

I've been flying since I was a baby so turbulence, hard-hitting-landings, very-high-speed-landings or short-of-the-runways'-end-landings forcing the plane to take off again - don't really shake me. But this was new. The plane was cruising at normal speed, the crew started to make their 'we're about to start our descent' announcement when there was a sudden thrust, almost whiplash like and we were suddenly traveling at a crazy pace. The crew even stopped their announcement mid-way, passengers could feel the velocity as they looked at each other in silence, knowing this was not normal. The plane turned right, its nose heading towards gravity and I found the irony of it amusing, life was playing a joke on me - by ending my journey before it began.

But this time, it was okay, it didn't matter. I was easy with death. I felt like I had no regrets, that I did everything I wanted to, I had great friends, always followed my heart, finally got to be with the kind of man who loved me in the way I'd been praying for my whole life. Oh but the album? Meh... I figured it'd be released posthumously. I actually even thought to myself 'I bet it'll sell even more copies after I die'. I was at peace and happy with everything. 'I'm all yours to take life!' I thought, sitting on my window seat smiling calmly. But the passenger announcement resumed and somehow the plane slowed down again. Ten minutes later - touchdown Jaipur.

I didn't know what to make of that experience at first. But as all the passengers stood up in a hurry to exit, only to stand and wait all cramped in the isle for 15 minutes (a phenomenon I will NEVER comprehend), I sat in my seat and realized I really was free. I was about to embark on a journey with a genuine clean slate... I had truly let everything and everyone go, nothing mattered anymore. I was starting fresh, starting at zero. Something big, something magical was going to happen. This was going to be the point of change in my life. This trip was destined. This place was destined. This date was destined. This flight was destined.

As I walked down the isle (in the plane people, focus!), through the airport, to the pre-paid taxi counter; I was in a trance. None of the usual excitement to be in a new city, none of the usual basic research, no airport Lonely Planet shopping even. Just a simple feeling of deep relaxation, peace and contentment within, where all I could think and feel, was 'Aaah, I'm home'. I didn't care to question or analyze it. All I did, was accept and embrace it. As we say in Hindi, Jo hona so ho... (What will be, will be).

Leaving A Home I've known for a Home Unknown

8pm. 40°C. I don't know anything about you except that I'm home. Hello Jaipur.

Rajasthan. June. Peak summer heat. Holiday.

Don't rub your eyes that hard, you read it right. So now I bet you're wondering to yourself 'What on earth would prompt someone to willingly choose to go there at this time of the year?'

Firstly, the thing is it's not just anyone. It is me. Hi. Ramona; yeh nice to meet you. People have all kinds of ideas and decided impressions about the kind of person I am. They may be right, they may be limited and they may be way off the truth mark. It's not their fault really. The problem is, I have way too many facets to me. I am also kind of moody. So, you get to see a side of me based on the mood you catch me in - be it on a one to one level, social level or an electronic platform. In short, I am everything you can and would never imagine me to be.

Secondly, if you live in Mumbai city, you will understand how important it is for sanitys' sake to get the f@‘$ out of it at least once in two weeks. Now imagine someone like me not having left it in 8 months.

Thus far, we've touched on me and my need for a holiday. Now, why Rajasthan?

- I had a friend who often said I should go visit.

- My last trip there was 7 years ago.

- I needed a change in my life. I was stuck in a rut: creatively, emotionally and mentally.

- I wanted to see if I would be able to give up my life as it currently is and just start anew in a new city, new job, new friends. See if I could adapt to a new lifestyle, new culture. Let everything known and familiar go. For good.

- There'd been something gnawing at my soul for months, saying there has to be more to life than my existence as it currently is. My existence needs to have some purpose. A real purpose. I've been gifted life, been fortunate and now the time has come for me to make use of it and give back. Rajasthan is one state where lots of NGO's exist. Something was pushing me towards a more simple way of life, getting back to the basics, meeting real people, helping animals and people beyond handing out a 10 Rupee note. I didn't know where, what, how or who I'd help.

- Desert life is even harder and the fact that it is so sparse and bare in one way attracted me. It felt like I needed to strip down to the basics, question what it is I really needed and wanted. It seemed to be the perfect place to release and 'shed' in.

- There were too many signs (and I don't believe in signs) encouraging me to take a leap of faith. I figured I had nothing to lose. At least I was taking a definite step in a direction the stream of my life was making me flow toward. I hoped things would work out, magically fall into place, that answers to all questions I didn't even know I had would be answered.

- Best of all, I knew there'd be no tourists or a familiar face in sight at this time of the year, allowing me to just be myself, be with myself, breathe, get far, far, faaaaaar away from everything and everyone known and familiar. Don't get me wrong - I love, adore and appreciate all my friends and family very much.

- And hey! I've always loved Rajasthan, always felt some sort of deep connect to it.

This was a trip I needed to make on many levels, for many reasons and it was now or never. No more toying with the idea, I just had to do it. So I opened up one of my many apps in my most faithful BFF and booked a ticket to Jaipur. Four hours later, I was at the airport completely unaware of anything or the journey that awaited...