Oranges and Lemon

Kuchesar. September 2004. I didn't think mud forts were my scene - wallowing in mud, self pity perhaps! But mud forts no. The neemrana tag may have helped. Or sheer ennui.

Looking back it is probably the beginning of the end. Sounds very tragic. But beginning of a new life perhaps. P leaves soon after, R goes the baby way & we go to the Neverla.. sorry ... Netherlands.

It rained, poured, thundered. The drive to Kuchesar was splendid. The Hapur toll road was spectacular, with mustard fields on either side! T made us believe it was his mystery woman - the Toyota Qualis Mystere that made it magical. Perhaps!

Once we got there - it felt like being back to one's grandmother's house. (If you had a grand mother who lived in bucolic surroundings, that is). Large haveli, plenty of mango orchards, a small mud tank, a few peacocks & a couple of resident ghosts. Did I forget the warmth & hospitality? As I am often wont to do - I insisted there was a railway connection to the food. Must have been the liveried old world charm of the bearers!

We played marco polo in the rain in the mud tank. R wore a polka dotted outfit that she refused to be photographed in! Which was funny - given that J spent the entire day getting candid shots & bits of salacious gossip into his new toy - a state of the art digital camera! He felt all-powerful and promise dire consequences with some of the footage - however that was not to be! Laziness prevailed & none of us have seen the footage -mercifully!

P was extremely concerned about the missing peacocks - i didn’t want to tell her that the fowl curry for lunch did smell of something foul....

The most fun part of the day was probably sitting outside; all of us huddled under a Jaipuri razai Indian (not our kind of Indian) style, drinking plenty of chai!

We were wistful when the day was over...perhaps a premonition that life was changing.

A spectacular sunset, stealing bits of sugar cane from passing bullock carts, and idle chatter did life our spirits somewhat. Not to forget my self-admission that the thought of stopping in a dhaba for masala chai was more fun than drinking it!

Also a 1st - the beer we carried with us came back intact - were the langots growing older?

PS I hear that J has misplaced his camera since. Whodunit?

Oranges and Lemon Kuchesar 2004