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The joyful hysterics of these kids were hard to ignore, even in the scorching heat of the afternoon, when I'm at my grumpiest. In the stone reservoirs of a temple just outside of the city, the kids seemed to find fun in the few hours of playtime while their mothers attempted to manage them, while simultaneously carrying out their chores. Photographing kids has been the most humbling experience and also one of the more chaotic ones. As they showed off their dives and poses, I tried to keep up with their tireless energy. I learned as many as ten new names and was even told how much they liked mine. It turns out they were also travelling and halted at the temple for lunchtime. These happy campers made my trip with their infectious cheeky grins and clever remarks. It's days like these that reinforce my love for photography.
Jaipur
May 2019
I stumbled upon a checklist today, as I was scouring my phone for remnants of days close to being forgotten. Clumsily typed out with an untrusting foresight of my own abilities, I think back to the pure excitement, the joy of what was yet to come. The torrid summer winds would soon travel elsewhere, picking up the seeds that would dare to venture its frisky pathways. Such was my enthusiasm for the trip ahead of me. Equipped with a notebook skinned jade and the premature notes on my phone. Almost like a mark of maturity, I was pleased with myself as I was able to cross, well as much as I could off the checklist.
My memories of this city are beyond the herds of cattle nestled in its bylanes, the countless malai kulfis we indulged in, the petty disputes over public transport, the many episodes of laughter echoing through the endless nights. They're so much more than the photos I still so erratically upload, that my heart very dearly clings on to.
I think back to the night sat atop the terrace, overlooking the crammed city pieced together like a jigsaw puzzle. The telephone wires teased and intermingled as though creating a synapse between the modest, fragmented buildings, overlooking the city lights spread scantily apart. As the mosque prayers of dawn broke the deafening silence of the godly hours, I began to see the City of Pink in black and white.
The reverberating prayers against the stagnance of twilight, allowed me to feel the passage of time and see every second turn into a memory, right before my very eyes.
You see, it was here that I reconnected with a version of myself that was long forgotten, that no checklist could have reminded me of. Although, most of the trivial things on it remained unticked, I brought back with me something new. I brought back rose tinted glasses from the City of Pink.
I open my notes once more, the boxes are still unticked, the spaces beckoning a new adventure. With all my might, I find myself moving past the crossroads, clearing space in my heart for yet another city to cast its imprint. Until next time.
Order/Chaos
November, 2018.
