They passed a few settlements huddled around their own wells and, now and then, small villages where peasants grew maize, lentils and millet, and when they passed herds of goats, sheep and even camels grazing on nutritious grasses, he spoke again.
He pointed to the land beyond his window. ‘Where you see those grasses,khimporakaro, you can tell that deep beneath there is water. Sometimes vast reserves of water. But it may be more than three hundred feet below.’
‘I suppose drilling is expensive.’
He nodded. ‘Some of the women walk miles every day to the big water tanks and reservoirs. I am interested in water. We are dependent on monsoons to fill reservoirs and this year we had little rain, not much last year either. Life can be harsh. You cannot conquer a desert, you can only do your best to protect it.’
‘I need water to develop my photographs.’
‘And that very thing may be your downfall.’
That night Eliza and the Prince sat cross-legged around a campfire with dignified men wearing colourful patterned turbans. The air was cool and soft, with a slight breeze carrying the scents of sand and dust that mingled with the spices from the cooking pot suspended over the fire. Surprised to be so readily accepted by them, she realized it was only because she was with Jayant. As he offered her a tall glass of milk, she noticed that his skin shone amber in the flickering firelight.
‘Camel’s milk,’ he said. ‘Very nutritious, but it sours rapidly so you have to drink it straight away. They never make it into cheese.’
She sipped the milk and agreed that it was good.
‘But don’t drink theasha, whatever you do.’
‘What is it?’
He laughed. ‘A powerful fermented drink. It’ll knock your head off. I speak from experience.’
One of the men was playing some kind of drum, another softly ringing some prayer bells and, as smoke rose into the air, Eliza felt intoxicated by the utter timelessness of the scene. The servant girl who sat beside her would also be sharing her tent, so although Eliza felt a little nervous of being out in the wilderness with so many men, she didn’t actually feel threatened.
The next day, after a surprisingly cool night sleeping on one of twocharpoys, traditional woven beds, Eliza woke to a silvery dawn and the sound of voices. She stretched out, intending to enjoy the moment, but the aroma of food was too enticing and, as she was absolutely ravenous and the girl was already up, she threw on her clothes without a thought for washing and made her way out of the tent. And in those few moments the light had changed. A morning of extraordinary beauty greeted her, the sky blushing deepest pink on the horizon, rising to pale peach, with not a cloud in sight. The delicate light cast a gentle glow over the flat land that seemed to stretch for miles, filling her with a sense of endless spaciousness. She spotted what she assumed was a temporary goatherd’s dwelling constructed from wooden poles, with just a tarpaulin of some kind thrown over for shade. It was surrounded by dozens of goats chewing on the sparse bushes and though the nomadic life must have compensations, Eliza thought it must be very lonely too.
She was pleasantly surprised to be greeted by a smiling Prince Jayant, the proud angles of his face softer than before. He held out a hand to indicate where they were to eat. But it wasn’t just his face, everything about him had changed and she realized that this new relaxed person was a man born for the outdoors. He wore dark European-style trousers with just a loose open-necked shirt in deep green. Later she would ask if he minded her taking a photograph of him.
During a satisfying meal of dahl and rice cooked over the fire by one of the men, he laughed and joked with the others, didn’t stand on ceremony and was clearly well liked. Eliza noticed the laughter wrinkles fanning out from his eyes, and thought the increased stubble on his chin and jaw added something that made him seem more accessible.
‘Do you often camp?’ she said.
‘As often as I can. It’s my escape, you see.’
‘You need to escape?’
‘Don’t we all?’
She realized how true that was, but also how different he was today. ‘You don’t stand on ceremony. I thought you might, but you’re no ordinary Prince, are you?’
He inclined his head. ‘Maybe not, but one never really forgets where one comes from.’
‘That’s unfortunately correct.’
‘I think you should see Udaipore at the start of the rainy season. It would be the best place to see the dark clouds rolling in. It’s the city of lakes.’
‘I’ve heard.’
‘Maybe I’ll accompany you there to take photographs,’ he said. ‘It is one of the most beautiful places in Rajputana.’
When they reached the foothills of the forested Aravalli range, Eliza stiffened at the sight of blue bulls wandering freely.
He laughed. ‘Don’t worry, Miss Fraser. They won’t come near us. They’re long accustomed to caravans of goods and people passing through since ancient times. We are part of the old trade routes that crossed this desert bringing goods from afar. In exchange we sold our sandalwood, copper, camels and gems.’
‘I wish I could have seen it back then.’
‘They were dangerous times, with the states constantly at war with each other. And life can be harsh out here.’
