(Some names have been changed)
Leaving Jaipur was the only viable option. I tried to convince myself to stay another few days, but despite the many comforting meals I’ve enjoyed here, it’s just not working between me and the Pink City. Last night I entered the Dazzling Amber Palace. The glorious construction of the Rajput kings which I almost didn’t get to see thanks to the infuriating behaviour of a total scam artist who tried to block my entrance, lying through his teeth about the place being closed. Anyway, I eventually saw the palace, but I missed the light show and now I have too many reasons to come back to Jaipur and too many to avoid the place altogether.
Before I thew myself into another sleeper bus however, there was one thing I needed to do…
Coming back from the Amber Palace last night… turns out my driver didn’t have a license… he was probably about 14… anyway, he suddenly pulled up on the side of the road, and his brother came along to take over, hitching a ride on the back of his mate’s bike. My driver’s brother’s mate was none other than Saqib, the guy who I went with to the fortune teller almost a week ago, promised I’d come back to his restaurant for a pint and then never did.
Well, that was a bit awkward, so once again I promised Saqib I’d come back to his restaurant before I left Jaipur, and this time I decided to make good on my word.
When I arrived and sat down, Saqib appeared and told me he’d had a dream about me. A dream in which I stayed in Jaipur and helped him turn his place into an amazing British restaurant. He then looked at me in that funny way he does, happily and expectantly. Saqib had a friend visiting his restaurant today called Aden and he got Aden to tell me about all that chakra stuff – most of which goes way over my head. Aden kept questioning me about the fortune teller. In the eyes of Saqib and Aden this fortune teller got absolutely nothing wrong. What did it feel like to know my destiny?
Aden couldn’t understand my skepticism so he started questioning me about my life and inevitably why I’m not married and why I don’t have a girlfriend. Sometimes dodging questions feels like dodging bullets.
‘How many girlfriends you have?’ He asked me.
I shrugged my shoulders.
‘Okay, how many boyfriends you have?’
‘One,’ I said.
‘That was a joke!’
‘Oh dear…’ I looked awkwardly at the T.V. where the Indian Cricket premier league was playing out. Hyderabad vs the Punjab Kings.
‘Excuse me sir, come with me please,’ he said.
I got up and followed Aden out of the restaurant wondering what the bloody hell was going on now.
‘This is my auto,’ he said, showing me his auto rickshaw.
I nodded and gave some vague compliments about it.
‘So, you are really gay?’ he said.
‘Yes.’
‘But errr… you do not look gay.’
I didn’t know what to say so could only shrug my shoulders. But this wasn’t good enough. Aden wanted to delve right into this topic, so he led me to an empty garden next to the restaurant and asked me to sit down, proceeding to ask me some very point blank and blunt questions. Before I knew it, I was being propositioned.
‘My wife is out of town,’ Aden told me. He also told me we could book a hotel nearby.
‘Yeah… I just think… with you being married…’ I began, hoping I wouldn’t need to finish my sentence. I didn’t, because Aden interrupted me straight away.
‘I told you that my wife is out of town!’
‘Yeah… it’s just that…’ What is the point? I thought. He’s not going to get it.
‘So, does Saqib know that you…’
‘No. Saqib does not know. That is why I take you out here. Do not tell him!’
‘Okay don’t worry.’
‘I think you are cute that is why I tell you.’
‘Okay.’
The situation was giving out extremely bad vibes, and that was aside from the fact that Aden was married, even though he announced triumphantly that his wife was ‘out of town!’ no less than three times like it solved everything.
I did not take Aden up on his offer, even though he kept pressuring me. I stayed stead-fast in my decision to get the hell out of Jaipur, because there are only so many missed opportunities I can handle. I’ve been in this place for over a week and it’s not working out. Everyone says the pink city is beautiful and maybe it is, unfortunately me and the pink city just weren’t made for each other. It’s time to try somewhere else.
I’d booked an overnight bus to a place 200 miles east of Jaipur in the state of Madhya Pradesh. A City called Gwalior. I knew nothing about it. The mystical sounding name was enough. It would be my next destination.
Aden told me not to go to Gwalior, told me there is nothing there. But I have learned never to trust people when they say there is nothing in a place. Jaipur has been the most difficult and stressful city to explore in India so far. It’s like there’s an invisible barrier preventing me from connecting with anyone or anything. The real Jaipur is hiding away behind an invisible curtain and with every step I take somebody tries my patience. If Gwalior is quiet and peaceful that’s exactly what I want. I’ve never wanted to be left-alone more in all my life.
And so, I rejected Aden’s proposition and made a steadfast exit from Jaipur. Jaipur has been my first experience of Rajasthan and now I’ve fled the desert state. The largest state of India.