I was carried by a donkey when crossing the border into India and the night was dark and my body was weak from many days of diarrhea. The border was supposed to open at 6 AM, but at 5 AM I knew I couldn’t hold it in anymore and you know what they say — desperate times call for desperate measures — so I explained the situation to the Nepalese border guards and they let me cross the border one hour early since the only available toilet was located in the no-mans land in-between Nepal and India. When I was done I was let back in again in Nepal, so that I could officially leave the country a few minutes later.
That night, that morning and the following day was a hardship for me and like I said: I was weak and had been for days and I often asked myself why I was on this goddamn trip. The only available train ticket that could take me south from the border town of Raxaul was in first class and for a while I was served with one of the most expensive luxuries in India: Privacy. During those first precious hours in the train I was only accompanied by an Indian Lord and Lady and they didn’t care much about me and I was able to sleep a little, but when I woke up the news had gotten out that there was a white guy on the train and different passengers from different compartments and carriages started to turn up to simply stand there in the hallway and look at me.
Sajid was in the compartment next to mine and he had just gotten married in his home town in the highlands and the whole family was traveling with him. I think he had become the new head of the family by this marriage, since he was having large wings that covered and protected all surrounding family members. Just by being where I was I was also slightly protected under one of his wings and when he saw the onlookers outside my compartment he chased them away. ”Tell me if you need anything”, he said and that was just after I had awaken and I was desperate and full of needs. I needed to visit the toilet and someone to protect my things while I did that, and I needed water, I needed food and I needed information on where to stay when reaching Calcutta. Sajid asked his family to protect my things, he provided me with several bottles of water, he invited me to sit down with them and eat the leftovers from the wedding and he called his friends in Calcutta to arrange a room for me and then he asked: ”Do you need anything else?” and I knew that whatever I asked for would be provided. Very humbly, but still a bit desperate, I responded: ”How do I reach the hotel when we arrive with the train?”
Later on, when we arrived, he provided me with a car and I realized that whatever happens from now on in this city of Calcutta — I will be protected. I was far more right about that than what I could have anticipated.