everyone else here , the seemingly chaotic cacophony of beeps and honks had become a harmony of spatial awareness and we were going with the flow .
We were carrying a tent to help our meagre budget and in the flatlands of Punjab and Rajasthan it was warm enough to try stealth-camping . But remaining undiscovered is a tricky business in this overpopulated land . The first night we found an undisturbed spot next to a train line and in the morning we unzipped the tent to find a man peacefully washing his revered cows in the river a few metres away .
The next night we were not so lucky . We turned off the road , down a dusty track , then down an even smaller one and then another , until we were sure we had found a hidden , unused piece of land . But no sooner did we have the tent up than a few kids appeared seemingly out of nowhere , endlessly curious and offering to bring us water . Eventually they left , only to return a little later with a few more people : did we need a shovel or a pick-ax to even the ground under the tent ? We declined again and they left , satisfied that there was nothing we needed .
By now it was getting dark , and we were about to turn in when yet more people arrived . It seemed the entire local population , including women , had come to meet the strangers . Our map made the rounds while we answered the usual “ where from ” and “ where to ” and anyone with a phone wanted some photos . They investigated the tent inside and out and asked endless questions : Was our tent snake-proof ? Did we want
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