Not far from Bikaner is one of the more bizarre sights I’ve witnessed (ever), Karni Mata Temple. It’s teeming with ‘holy rodents’ – thousands of them – believed to be reincarnated storytellers. Hindus flock here to pay respect and offer food to the rats, which blanket entire rooms and scurry from every corner and crevice. Just to observe this extravaganza was an exercise in self-control, to overcome one’s innate fear of swarming, disease-ridden rats.
Speaking of rats… At a guest house in Bikaner, we dined with a puzzling couple and their drunk driver. It was later agreed that the 24-year-old Kashmiri man was indeed romancing his travel companion, a rather homely Brazilian-American in her late-40’s. He spoke at length about his life in Kashmir: 'especially in winter, we eat very much, mostly non-veg. We’re Muslim, so we can take anything, not just veg like Hindus. I can eat three chickens, I have this courage!! That’s nothing! My brother, he weighs 150 kilograms, he can take 20, 22+ dishes! He’s dangerous man, nickname bulldog in our village. Once he took 25 men, one at a time, and after, they’re all lying feet in the air, bloody faces. He’s crazy man, I’m not like my brother, I’m peaceful man. But anyone talks to my sister, and she doesn’t like, I kill this man… I love my sister. Ten years , 15 years in jail, this is nothing, I would do this for my sister, I love her. One time a boy likes my sister, so I ask where he lives, and I meet with him and give him good beating, I spoiled his face, 25 stitches he gets… On my second trip to American embassy in Delhi, the man was a Jewish, what was his name… all Jewish hate Muslims, you know? And he ask me three question, then deny me tourist visa to America, because my passport is too fresh. I’m so angry, I say “You peoples think I’m terrorist! Because I’m Muslim and I’m born in Kashmir, it’s my only sin, that I’m born in Kashmir!” I wanted to kill every person in that entire building, I was so angry…’ It was about then that I excused myself, comforted by the fact that this promising young terrorist had not been granted a tourist visa to my beloved country.
