My last full day in India. I figured I’d treat myself to a haircut and soothing head massage before I go. Me and the barber agreed on a price: 250 rupees. He cut my hair and proceeded to beat me across the back of the head, it felt like he was taking years of pent-up anger out on me. Then, he took a bottle of water and sprayed my face for about a full minute. I was being waterboarded. Panic started to set in. He finally stopped the spraying and I gasped for air. He smacked a towel across my face and started rubbing some sort of cold cream into my skin. I was no longer having fun. Wondering when this head massage would end, I peeked my eyes open and saw a monster in the mirror. The menthol fumes from the face cream immediately blinded me and I had to wait for the atrocity to take its course. It finally came to an end, my face was wiped clean, and I paid. The men in the barber shop demanded much more money than we agreed on and said I couldn’t leave until I paid the full amount. I assured them that I could, in fact, leave. I walked out and continued my day with a slight fear of an ambush in one of the dark alleys. A good ole fashioned shakedown is what it was.
The ill fortune that I had experienced earlier in the day was forgotten by night. On my train from Amritsar, I sat next to a girl who was returning home to Delhi. She offered me some homemade dessert and we began to chat. We agreed to get dinner before I returned to the States - a date, if you will. She took me to a Naga restaurant in South Delhi, very posh and cool. After dinner we walked around the town and talked about life and our hopes and dreams. The whispers of death followed our budding romance through the night. A rolling stone gathers no moss. I still can’t believe my time here is nearly over. The hour is certain to come. Tomorrow evening, I will fly back home.
Going to miss your intriguing thoughts and stories! Please continue writing from the USA. I look forward to reading your posts everyday. Safe travels back to the US.
I would also be interested in reading some of your thoughts from after your return to NYC