There was activity in the adjoining cottage, I could certainly hear voices and they were not that of the housekeeping crew. When I stepped into the garden I saw a teenage girl occupying the chair in front of the other cottage. She was wearing a burqa but no Hijab (cloth covering the face) and was staring at me with frank curiosity.

"Hi" I said.
"Hi" she responded and smiled.
"You came just now?" I knew the question was rather inane but anything to break the ice.
She nodded but added, to my dismay "No speak English".
"Oh" I was disappointed.
Before I could ask her if she could speak Hindi she asked 'Can you speak Arabic?'.

I hope my face didn't register the surprise that I felt at these words. Why on earth would I, an Indian and a Hindu at that, would speak Arabic? Then I realized that I didn't have my bindi on my forehead - the telltale sign of a Hindu.

So I shook my head to indicate I didn't and asked her where she is from. Turned out  she was from Saudi Arabia. 'You from India?' she asked and I nodded this time.

Then we both fell silent. I knew there were thousand things I wanted to ask this girl but language can be such a cruel barrier. So we both just sat there till it got dark, each wrapped in our thoughts.

As the last rays of the setting sun faded, the prayer call rose from the valley below and for a few moments at least everything seemed just right with this world.