At 19 years, armed with a mining diploma, and a job offer by the Indian Bureau of Mines, I travelled to Ajmer. The ticket cost 45 rupees, which was a large sum then. Kind TTs helped me on the way to Bombay and at Ahmedabad, as I could converse only in Kannada and English. As the Ajmer passenger train stopped at Marwar station, I looked out of the window eager to glimpse the heart of Rajasthan.
A colourfully-dressed hawker entered the compartment. He started to pat my head. I wondered what he was doing, it was annoying and I asked him to stop. But he persisted then muttered something that sounded like the word ‘polish’. Thinking he wanted to polish my shoes, I gave them to him. This emboldened him. He took the liberty to pour oil on my head and started beating it, with his fingers and palms. I struggled to push him away as he was quite strong. Much later, I came to know that this was in fact telmalish or oil massage. Back in Bangalore, we had oil baths only in private.
As the train was nearing Ajmer it began to get colder and I was dressed only in cotton. I rolled down the shirt sleeves, but it was no use. By now the compartment was nearly empty.
The train reached Ajmer at night after three days of travelling. A railway porter hefted my holdall and quickly walked me to a joint only a hundred metres from the station. There was a person at the counter who guided me to a cot and gestured me to sleep well.
The stars shone brightly above me as I slept. I thought it was a special room with a view. The night was so cold that I put the holdall on top of me and slept. I realised only in the morning that I had been sleeping on the terrace. The porter had apparently pleaded on my behalf, not to turn me away as I was a stranger and did not know the local language.
I got ready and searched for the address of my reporting office. The officer to whom I reported, was surprised to see me holding the appointment letter. He said I looked like a kid. Maybe seventeen years? Was I sure? he asked. I was administered oath on the Constitution of India.
I felt like I was Rana Pratap come alive.