Jammu Tawi

(Sun Sets at Pali, Rajasthan 7:30PM)


(My train friends, the newlyweds, Hersh and Riddhu)

Pouring with sweat and making it just in time, we reached the Jammu Tawi express through the midmorning "amdavadi" traffic and heat. As is customary with Gujaratis my bags were packed to the brim with all manner of snacks and travel foods: Ma's theplas, Juna Sherbazaar Chauwanu, keris, my Qatari sesame cookies, and 4 liters of water. Though I tend to be a bit introverted on these train rides, I was too excited to keep to myself (plus my books are too dry to really enjoy in this context) and immediately made the acquaintence of Hersh and Riddhu, two newlyweds on their way to honeymoon in Kashmir.

We had a blast! Being 25 and 22 we had quite a bit in common and we could joke around about and discuss all things from toilet experiences, to religion, to politics, to childhood games. Hersh moved to the US in hopes of attaining the elusive "american dream" and is doing work at Wal-mart to make some cash and pay the bills. The job climate is rough as we all know. Riddhu is his childhood sweetheart, who waited 5 years while he established basics abroad. To me, he represented that humble, go-getter, overcome every obstacle without fret, ambitious, yet sometimes playfully innocent Desi mindset.

I loved seeing how differently we had come to similar conclusions. Having some scientific training and trivia laden knowledge, I tend to overanalyze--create vast trains of thought based on some factual evidence. So I wasn't surprised that when we started to talk about drinking water, I went into a long discourse/lecture about microorganisms, vaccination, and filtration techniques. And after exhausting them they both looked at me, laughed a bit, and explained: when you only eat at home you end up sick when you eat out, as does the one who only drinks bottled water and switches to regular. Simple, pragmatic, and logical enough to employ without much thought. It's the essence of the observational basis for moderation extolled by so many asian traditions-- just in a simple, purified form. I realized then how attractive this mindset can be. "what's survived time has worked, therefore it can be accepted as true".

I could really see the difference when two blustering blondes from Greensboro, NC entered the train. They complained incessantly about the heat, the sweating, the rudeness, the terrible food, their absent air conditioners, and how much they hated Wal-mart. It was at this moment, when I looked at my friends, keeping quiet with distant curiosity that I realized the lesson they were trying to teach me.