A walk in the clouds

Chapter twelve /on tender hooks

Out in the open
Late at night
Place unknown

It was night again, but this one was vastly different from the one before. There was no fear. No panic, no dread, for the coming moments. No hiding in a cramped space. Yes! I still had to reach my destination but now I kind of felt that I will. After all that happened yesterday I realised that I had hidden reserves of strength.

I was lying on a thin cotton mattress, comfortably looking up at the stars. As though not a care in the world. My body was battered and bruised but I was happy.
After we had left that place in the morning we had gone just a short distance before taking a turn. It was a tiny little path. There was no visible indications or markings around it. You could be standing there and not realise it was there. It was barely visible even in the bright morning sunlight, one would for sure miss it in the dark. Kakasa knew of it by some mark that he had kept. Since the landscape could not be relied on  for an indication. He had kept some stones piled up in a particular manner with an odd marking on it there under a small tree. We followed that path till late into the afternoon. There seemed to be no particular direction that we were going in. Thankfully we had not encountered any of the guards patrolling on the way till then. There soon after we came across a band of gypsies traveling in the same direction as we were. We were out in the nowhere, having passed a settlement quite some time back, when I felt as though I was hearing music. I looked at Kakasa, quite unsure of myself. Kakasa was beaming loudly. It indeed was music and not too far away it seems, for soon enough we could see the reason behind it. It was a large caravan of gypsies traveling. And where their is music automatically there you will find the gypsies.
Gypsies were everywhere here in this part of Rajasthan. They were more like roaming tribes, travelling all around with their herds of cattle and goats. Finding greener pasture for both. They could be seen from a distance. They were so loud and colourful. Kakasa moved the cart faster now trying to catch up with them. Soon enough we had caught up with them. We hailed one of the carts.
On asking we were told they were going for a fair that was being held at Ajmer. Since Rajsamand where we were heading would be almost on the way. We could go with the caravan and it would give us the perfect cover. So Kakasa went and met with the chief. He requested the chief to allow us to travel with them for some distance. The chief had happily agreed. The chief must have taken a liking to us or they had no respect for the law inforcement because they hid us well from the many patrolling groups that had been set upon that route. We were still near the border of Ujjangarh and apparently Ranisa was trying to find me with a vengeance. I could not be that important to her. She did not have much to gain from my return, after all.

The gypsies were a colourful band. A group of about eighty people of all ages. Dressed in bright attire, the women were wearing heavy silver jewellery. In a style that was distinctly there own. Having never really travelled or seen anything much beyond Ujjangarh this was a treat for my eyes. They had cheerfully come and helped us. Through the remaining part of the day we had managed to cross into the state of Rajsamand. Tonight we would be camping out in the open near a watering hole. From there the next day we would make our way to the city of Pali, which was at the border of the state of Rajsamand and Kishangarh . The outskirts of Pali was my destination. It was where I am suppose to meet Abhi. Abhi!!.....His very name brought a big smile on to my face. A relief from the constant fear that was troubling me. It seemed that one fear led to another. My fear now was that I had not had any contact with Bharat, apart from that one message that had come from him. There was no way I could contact him or talk to him. I was not sure about anything. I had no idea how to get in touch with Abhi either. I really wished to check up on Daimaa once I get to Pali but how? That thought had been troubling me too. I had managed to escape but I was afraid Daimaa will bear the brunt of my misendeavor . I will never forgive myself if anything was to happen to that old lady. The only hope that was keeping me going was that I knew that come what may I will find Abhi. I was not worry about money since I had taken all my years of saving, the money that after my mother's death I had kept hidden from my step mother. She had no idea that I had money hidden away. Then Daimaa had sent me a lot of money too. I dare not question where she had gotten so much money from, for I knew that she had none of her own. I could hide myself for a very long time if need be without worry about the economics.