Page 31 of The Love Thief
I quickly did the math in my head; three hundred rupees was around four dollars, and Divya had negotiated a grand total of eighty cents.
It seemed rather odd to haggle over such a low price, but I trusted her instinct and hopped onto the backseat nearest the driver.
The plume of fumes emanating from the back was nauseating at best. At that moment, I wished I had brought a scarf to cover my nose from the smell.
After traveling no more than a kilometer, the tuk-tuk driver pulled over and stopped.
“Oh, Holly. I meant to warn you; this ride will soon get very crowded.” I gave her a puzzled look. For a second, I thought there might be a chance that a family of monkeys might jump in for a free ride.
“It is best you move over here and sit next to me,” Divya said, patting the seat closest to her.
I grabbed the back of the driver’s seat to push my way toward her.
Suddenly, a mother and four small children filled the bench I had just vacated.
I was beginning to get a flavor for India in a new way.
Things happen and you have to adjust. I filed the thought away in the “how to be flexible” drawer in my mind.
The tuk-tuk took a hard left turn, which had the kids squealing to hold on while I reached out to make sure none of them fell out. The mother smiled at me benevolently as if to signal the kids had mastered the art of Indian travel in a way I had not yet.
We began winding up a paved road with tall trees on both sides.
The dark green foliage was filtering the sunlight, giving the surroundings a mystical, dreamy appearance.
Despite the tight space, I couldn’t resist feeling a bit mystical and dreamy myself.
I inhaled the scents of the street food vendors and nearly forgot about the fumes trailing behind us.
A little voice inside my head whispered a word of encouragement.
“Well, look at you now, Holly.” A sense of pride swelled within me as I melded with the jolting movements of the tuk-tuk.
Just a few weeks ago, I could not have imagined actually enjoying a ride like this.
India, this exotic and chaotic country, had somehow entered my bloodstream.
The dreamy, peaceful feeling didn’t last long.
The tuk-tuk picked up three more passengers who squeezed in next to Divya and me, literally forcing Divya’s legs on top of mine.
The situation became both hilarious and uncomfortable.
After a brief spell of bliss, I now began to wonder if eighty cents was too much for this crazy ride.
Within fifteen minutes, we arrived at a corner of the two main streets in Tapovan. Divya and I hopped out and spent the next hour wandering in and out of the various stores. She bought spices, vegetables, and a few homeopathic remedies from the pharmacy, while I picked up a few sandalwood statues.
Walking past a large temple, Divya pointed out a young man dressed as the half human–half monkey Hindu god Hanuman. He was wrapping a red string around another man’s wrist.
“Holly, would you like to receive a blessing that will stay on your arm for many months?” Divya asked.
“Sure, why not,” I said. I offered my right arm to the young man.
The monkey god man proceeded to tie a long piece of red string around my wrist, and as he did so, he spoke in near-perfect English:
“This will provide you blessings for success in the near future and will also assist in the healing of your wrist.”
And then, he walked away. My mouth widened ever so slightly. How in the world did he know the wrist he just wrapped the string on was still healing from a fracture? I thought.
Seeing the question on my face, I explained to Divya that my wrist had recently healed after I broke it. I was dumbstruck that this stranger in a crazy costume wearing a gold-and-green headdress and a monkey-face mask while draped in robes of red and gold knew about my injury.
“Holly, this is India. You are in Rishikesh, one of the holy cities where blessings occur naturally,” Divya said to me rather solemnly, looking me straight in the eyes.
“The veils between worlds are thinner here on Ma Ganga, and accessing the divine is to be expected rather than a surprise. What just happened for you was a rather blatant experience of this, but if you stay in the present moment and stay aware, you will find that these things are happening all the time.” Divya smiled as she took my hand.
“Now, let’s go have some tea at my favorite café with the world’s most spectacular view.”
METHI
1 bunch methi (fenugreek leaves)
2 bunches spinach leaves
3 red chili peppers
(or more, as needed for spiciness)
6 to 8 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon rice flour
1 teaspoon dried ginger
4 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
? teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon coriander powder
Wash and chop methi and spinach.
Chop chilies and garlic, add cumin and ginger, and make paste.
Boil spinach and methi for 5 minutes and drain completely. Then strain and blend.
Heat oil, add paste, and mix for 30 seconds. Add everything else, mix well, then blend.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with yogurt.