18.3.2008

The Desert Boy

As I meet people along the way there are definately a few exceptional ones that are amazing and beautiful in certain ways that needs to mentioned in the diary and this desert boy is certainly one of them.

We met Dileep on the day we arrived in jaisalmer whilst trying to sort out our camel safari. Although he was the first person we spoke about the desert there was something his honesty and sharp sales techniques, along with our tiredness, that we decided to book our trip straight away. We didnt want to haggle him down, we didnt want extras, or less, we just agreed. his sale line was that he was making our life easier by making the decisiona nd taking the money, so we could relax during the next few days with less burden of making a choice.

We went past his shop a few more times in the next few days, one lunch time we simply bumped into him and he offered us chai at his restaurant. There we really got chatting. He was originally from the desert in Jaisalmer and opened a business (tourism is the biggest earner). we liked his cheeky one liners in straight tones, they didnt sem too cheesy coming from him. He wasnt sleezy or pushy. He just worked enough to make his living. When we were in his shop originally where there were also rugs and throws, he told us "you leave now, I'm not in the mood to sell you. Once you rest you can come back, have my chai and then I will sell you something". That was unique as most shop owners were yelling after you to get you in their store!

The day of our camel safari I was feeling pretty sick and had to check out at 10am from our hotel. So whilst looking for a place where we could kill time and I could remain horizontal we bunmped into Dileep again. He invited us in for a drink and said I could lay in his shop until I was feeling better. We had to leave our bags in his shop before 2pm that afternoon anyhow.

As I lay in his shop with the fan blowing over my head, he brough me hot lemon ginger drink. Judith went for a wonder so he just sat next to me and we got talking. There was a little flirtatous tone in him but not to make me feel uncomfortable. there was some kind of sadness in him, a fight with life, something we couldnt quite determine. It turned out that he was only 26years old. His grandfather married him o his best friend's granddaugher at their birth, an arrange marrieage. When they married neither of the grandfathers were alive, yet the young ones had to honour the promise. He seemed unhappy about the marriage, didnt have children but didnt love his wife either. He also fell out with his father, so going home to visit his family wasnt much fun either, yet he did it for his mother and siblings.

When he set up the business in Jaisalmer he wasnt so welcomed by the locals as he was a desert boy creating competition, he got conned 3 times and lost a lot of money. He made many friends slowly as he has a kind heart and likes to help his people, so anyone we mentioned his name talked very highly of him in that fort.

He also stopped celebrating one of the holiest festivals, Holi, which is on 22nd March, throwing of coloured powder because 8 years ago he lost his uncle during Holi.

The list could really go on about this guy. He made a joke that if he ever got divorced he would happily marry me when I told him that I had trouble finding a husband (they like to know why you're not married). And the final night of our stay in Jaisalmer he gave judith and I gifts, handbags so we could remember him always. He even rang us during our taxi ride to Pushkar as the driver happen to be a friend and he wanted to know if our trip was going ok.

Phew...He has an old soul for sure with some deep wunds, but very kind at the same time. Its great to meet people like him along the way.