Dining under the stars at Sam sand dunes, Jaisalmer

On a chilly night, we ventured out in a jeep into the sand dunes of Sam in Jaisalmer. The four of us, of whom only two were fully conscious (a story for another day) of the magic about to enfold in front of our eyes. We took our places on the jeep, and were being whisked away in the dunes at such speed all we could do was grip tightly to anything we could hold on to. When we reached our destination I noticed softly glowing candles arranged in the shape of a heart, with seating placed right in the centre. I learned later that this setup had been in the works for several months.

3 months ago, when we were planning our trip to Rajasthan for my partner’s friend’s wedding, we decided to go a few days ahead to celebrate my birthday, and carry on the tradition of going to a new place  every year. We zeroed in on Jodhpur and Jaisalmer, merely a few hours away from the wedding destination. We were joined by a friend and my partner’s brother. I had meticulously decided the 4 days we were about to spend in Rajasthan, and had informed my partner about my desire to spend a night at a desert camp in Sam. This being a budget trip, we were on the fence about it for a long time.

As the days approached, I discovered, what was meant to be a surprise; we will be spending the night at a desert safari camp near the desert. What I did not expect was this meticulously planned surprise.

This turned out to be one of the best nights I spent in Rajasthan. We started by devouring traditional Rajasthani fare, from dal baati churma to Ker sangri, served piping hot, despite the cold that engulfed us. There was no one around for miles, and all that was visible was the vast sky and the people right in front of me giggling away.

We danced to Until I found you, and then just lay in solitude, our eyes slowly adjusting to the night sky. With no one but us, time passed; however, our eyes remained fixated at the sky full of stars. We eventually saw a shooting star, and I quickly wished upon it.

While admiring the beauty, we noticed a bright red moon in the sky that somehow felt within reach. I had not, until that moment, watched a moonset, having always lived in the city, where the comforts of a house are traded for moments like this. I was in awe of the scene unfolding right in front of me. The moon dimmed into an orangish hue, as it slowly went further away and eventually disappeared.

Overwhelmed with gratitude, no thoughts were playing in my head except I did not want this night to end. I know I couldn’t not capture the visuals unfolding in front of our eyes and hastily set up my camera. Trying astrophotography for the first time, it took us quite a few attempts to capture every detail, but it was worth every second. As minutes turned to hours, we were told it was time to head back to the tents and like a wide eyed girl, I sat on the jeep again, my eyes fixed onto the sky, savouring every moment I could.

There is nothing I could have asked from the day. Although, I have one regret, and that is we did not stay the night braving the cold.