Train Through Rajasthan

“The train from Jaipur to Jaisalmer. Second class sleeper, the door open because of course it is. The chai wallah runs alongside at every stop — CHAI CHAI CHAI — and the tiny clay cup is warm in your hands and the tea is too sweet and it's the best thing you've ever tasted. The Thar Desert scrolling past, turning from brown to gold to copper as the sun drops. A family across the aisle shares their tiffin without asking your name. The tracks have a rhythm and your body finds it. A man plays harmonium softly in the next berth. The stars come out and the desert is infinite and you are very small and that's exactly right.”