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Did I ever believe my Dadi on all the stories of a place like this? I always felt like It was the figment of imagination, until I visited this place. Not so long back, in 2015, I felt like I travelled time and reached 100 years ago. The place which I have always lived in my imagination, I was finally there. Ram Murti bhaiyya asked me “Madam, I am hungry, can I stop here for a while and eat because it will take 3 hours to reach kaliteer? ‘’ Next moment, we stopped. I looked around, nothing could be seen but us. Withered tree leaves, pale in colour, the rustling of dead leaves amidst the silence was enthralling. It seemed like a decay, like no one ever walked here, kept far from the civilization, waiting to be discovered. it was 12 o clock; The Sun was right above our heads. While Ram Murti bhaiyya was having lunch, I went on the top of the nearby plateau, where there was a small hut structure. Empty. I looked around and for miles, only the ranges of Aravalli hills and National Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary was visible. By the time I returned, he had finished his lunch. And, we started our journey to kaliteer Village. A village nestled on the banks of Chambal river. We found no concrete road as we moved forward yet we continued riding in the valley. We felt swarmed by dust cloud but Ram Murthy Bhaiyya kept on going. Amidst that blurry dirt, I saw some people sitting with their faces were covered. I asked, why those people were sitting here like that? He said “Madam, have you heard of all the tales of Bandit queen, Pan Singh Tomar and others? People were robbed & murdered by the groups of Bandits. There are still some people who do so.” I asked, what If they capture me? He smiled and asked me not to worry. “They know me, and you are my responsibility, so nothing will happen to you.” Then he kept on telling me with exclamations “Do you know, the village where we are going, there is still no electricity. Can people imagine, in 2015, there is a school only till 5th standard and no teacher wants to attend it?” I asked, what about those children, who want to continue their studies after 5th? He said, they walk for 30 kms daily. By the time he completed telling me the tales of Kaliteer, we reached our destination. It was 2 O clock and I was quite hungry. He took me to the place where a marriage function was going on. People were all dressed up, ladies dolled up in colorful Lehnga Choli and men clad in Dhoti Kurta with colorful turbans; a complete Rajasthani attire. My eyes pounced upon the Bride Groom, and to my surprise they were kids aged 12 – 14. I asked Ram Murthy, if child marriages still prevalent there. He said, “This is the Malha community, and for them it is decided at the time of their birth whom they will be betrothed to. And, after attaining puberty, they are immediately married off. As we were roaming around the village, I was overwhelmed by the hospitable nature of the villagers. Almost everyone, offered me to have tea/Chaach (butter milk). Ram Murthy Bhaiyya. offered me a boat ride. When we stepped on the boat, Kaali warned us to be careful as the river was full of, Gharials- crocodiles. With little fear in my heart, I stepped on and looked around. I contemplated the scenic beauty and peacefulness of the place and thought how rich of flora and fauna this place is. I engaged in monologue…. Does development come at a cost? Or are village dwellers lucky to live on the bank of cursed river as the land is far from the commercialization (yet). I remember my Dadi telling me, The Chambal river is cursed because it is believed to have originated from the blood of thousands of cows sacrificed by the Aryan King Rantideva. That is why this river is also called Charmanyavati, which means originating from the blood of thousands of cows.