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