The Anomaly called "Love"

Love. If one were asked to write down one word that encompassed all that mattered in a human's life, the answer would be unmistakably simple. Love. Everyone feels it, everyone needs it, everyone treasures it. Without Love, all the sufferings in life wouldn't be bearable nor would the happiness in life be enjoyable. There is so much of Love around us in this world - Love between a mother and her child, Love between a father and his child, Love between siblings, Love between a husband and his wife, etc. Amidst all these types of Love, there is one kind which stands out from the rest - the Romantic Love between a man and a woman.

While growing up, it is impossible to ignore the power of Love. It is seen everywhere from movies to music albums to what not. In fact, almost every movie in India has a romantic subplot. The movie concept is simple - the hero and the heroine fall deeply in love with each other. Then, they run around trees or out in the Swiss Alps or in between the pyramids of Egypt, singing songs and dancing all the way, celebrating their love. The pair are convinced that they are madly in love with each other and so, they go to any extreme to ensure they are together forever - as they say "Happys Endings". The growing generation considers them as demigods who could do no wrong. They have a profound effect on us as we grow up. When hormones start kicking in, one develops 'feelings' for certain individuals of the opposite sex naturally. Then comes the sacred, ever-remembered first "love letter" followed by the first "I Love You". This holy mantra is treasured by people of all ages and even more so among young people. The seriousness about 'relationships' increases as one grows mature. When one becomes an adult, 'relationships' get entangled with words like 'commitment','heart-break', 'break-up', 'make-out', 'experience' and so on. Suddenly, the whole concept of 'Love' doesn't look so simple after all.

What is Love? Can you define it? No. Can you draw it? No. Can you feel it? Yes. Can you make someone feel it? Yes. Can you show it? Yes. Then why is it an Anomaly?

What does one mean when one says he/she is 'committed' to somebody else? Does it mean that he/she is planning to be with his/her companion forever? Does it mean that he/she is willing to die for the other person? If you truly love somebody, how can you 'break-up' with that person? Isn't Love supposed to be more important than any individual's ego? Isn't one supposed to bear everything for the sake of Love? If parents come as a hurdle and one has to decide, which Love will he/she decide? Either way, one will have to leave somebody whom he/she supposedly 'Loved'. So where is Love here? How can you love someone, break-up and later love somebody else? If Love is the be all and end all of life, then why is it treated like a joke? Is Love just a cover to satisfy one's hormones? Or is Love like your favorite song which changes from time to time but satisfies you nonetheless?

I thought I had an answer for this i.e. bear anything to ensure that Love reigns supreme, to go to any end to ensure we are together forever and after - "Happys Endings" just like the movies tell you. What the movies don't tell is that man is fundamentally a flawed creation. Nobody's perfect and hence, such an ideal scheme of things may not be possible. Or is it?

So many questions. No concrete answers. Now why wouldn't Love be an Anomaly?

A wise man once told me - "One loves nobody more than oneself". The more I thought about it, the more it seemed to make sense.

Am I being naive about it? Am I being over-sentimental? Am I being ridiculous? This is for you, the reader to decide. Your opinions are most welcome.

Peace Out.
G-Man

A small boy in a big world

Do you still remember the first day you went to school? I still do. It was the beginning of many the great things in my life. I was a very shy boy back then (even now am so :) ). Things like the water bottle, school bag and multi-colour umbrella became my first possessions. Having lived my toddler life as a well caressed kid, moving away from my parents even for the shortest second was something that never crossed my mind. I was so attached to my parents that i would cry the instant i lost sight of my parents.

So came the day of reckoning. I didnot know why my mother was dressing me up in those new clothes but I found the greatest pleasure in suiting up with the newly bought apparels. My parents took me to a place they called "school". It was strange to be there in an alien land full of people and other children . [Little did I know then that later I would treasure this place in my heart forever!]. So there I was shy, insecure and curious. As always, I stood behind my mother biting the hanging part of her sari. Entering the school was intimidating to say the least because of the sheer size of the school gate. Now when I'm almost six feet the gate is an ordinary gate but back then, it seemed as if it was HUGE. Then my parents took me to a room, left me there and told me they'll be coming only in the afternoon to get me. I cried the life out of me. When you are a kid, the only people in your life are your parents. So when they said they'll be temporarily abandoning me, I couldn't help it. I had never cried so much in my entire life [when I look back at it]. Finally the teacher pulled me away and took me to another room. The room was full of children sitting in small red coloured chairs and each of them crying their guts out. When your 3 years old, you're not so into group dynamics and politics, and I guess that's why seeing others cry made me feel more insecure. The room was filled with pictures of animals and all kid-stuff but no one seemed to really care. You cry for so long, eventually it is going to stop. So, I stopped crying and started to look around. One of the boys was a gentle kid who didnot cry that much. He came and sat next to me. I don't remember what we talked about but I knew it was the start of something great. He then became my best friend and would be so for all the years to come.

Afternoon seemed like eternity but when it arrived and my parents dropped their idea to abandon me, I was greatly relieved. Life was back to normal, albeit temporarily and I was happy. Day one had ended.

My journey had begun....

Peace Out
G-Man