I know nothing with certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.” Vincent van Gogh’s words made me heady as I sat on the highest terrace of Lakshman Sagar resort, gazing at the stars. The calmness that engulfed the secluded retreat was intermittingly broken by the longing calls of a pair of peacocks. Earlier that day, I witnessed a seemingly flightless bird soar from a rocky launch pad up to its nest in a tree. If nights here are dreamy, the daytime is pulsating with possibilities.
The stars shine brighter and the sky is bluer than ever. There are hidden nooks and corners in this resort, where inspiring thoughts come to you and never leave.
As I strolled around the resort, my camera swaying restlessly from my neck, I could take my eyes off the swimming pool—stark green and strikingly uneven.
“It has been carved out from the rock you are standing on. Hundred per cent au naturel,” the resort manager chipped in. Even as I longed for company, a honeymooning couple watched the sun go down the horizon from a terrace next to the pool.
The sunrays faded away, giving the light bulbs their fair chance. Looking at the flickering lights emanating from six cottages, nestled far from each other on either sides of a man-made lake, I realised why this erstwhile hunting lodge—tucked in Raipur village, 100 km off Pushkar—is an ideal love succor. Lakshman Sagar is a warm embrace that a lover gives his beloved after years of yearning.
My dinner was an authentic Rajasthani fare. Years of tongue training and sitting through elaborate food reviews did not prepare me for the lauki halwa I tasted. To my surprise, the simpleton chef, oblivious to his masterstroke, could not understand why I made such a fuss about it.
As I walked towards my cottage, finding my way with a flashlight, my mind was in overdrive. It was getting cold and too quiet for a city dweller like me. Once tucked in my bed, I could hear hurried squirrels, muted voices of a lone neelgai and a pair of ducks struggling to keep their chicks in a row. I will never know for sure if all of this ever happened, but Lakshman Sagar did a lot of good to my imagination.
The next morning, after I was showed around the backyard organic farm, I tasted the best baajre ki roti I ever had. Before I packed my bags, I got some time to admire my room and the private pool outside it. The earthy tones were punctuated with contrasting colours. Back to basics is brilliant sometimes. The beauty of this place is that it is in no rush to impress anyone.