Tsunami Of Love

Prologue

Kamadeva and his partner Rati bowed before Lord Shiva and requested a leave of absence. All-knowing Shiva simply smiled and said granted and wished them well for their trip to India.

At a coffee shop some-where in Cannought Place, New Delhi

Anil Kumar was explaining to Noorjahan about the controversy over net flix show A suitable Boy. He was saying let us get the facts straight.

Firstly, the kissing scene between Lata and Kabir Durrani happens in episode 2 of A Suitable Boy. Two kissings (1st and 3rd) scenes occur in the open where you can see a temple-like structure in the background. The second kissing scene is shown beside an ornated structure and you can see people lots of people walking. It was difficult to confirm if the scene occurred inside a temple or beside a temple structure or it could be any other structure as well. Based on the facts I am unable to conclude if the location of the shot by itself posed any controversy.

Secondly, I am summarising the dialogue that happens between Lata Mehra and Kabir Durrani. In one such conversation, she asks why did you not tell your surname as Durrani? Kabir asks why was it so important and if it was why didn’t you ask me earlier. Lata tells Kabir of being a Muslim matter. What would my mother say? Kabir says I have never been brought up that way. My father only thinks of mathematical problems and my mother is too sick to think of anything. In another shot, Lata then tells the mother about the Muslim boy she has been meeting. Lata’s mother curses her and tells her to pack up to leave for Calcutta the very next day. Then Lata comes and tells Kabir to let us run away and when Kabir says I need to finish my degree and it will take two years Lata says she will be married by then and walks away in a huff.

One can gather that Kabir did not intend to deceive Lata at all. It was the love he felt that he tells her and vice versa. The lovers both know that there are barriers to their love. If it was a Hindu boy in love with a girl would that situation be any different? For me, no.

Anil further explained what the Allahabad high court had quoted

“To disregard the choice of a person who is of the age of majority would not only be antithetic to the freedom of choice of a grown-up individual but would also be a threat to the concept of unity in diversity,” a bench of Justices Pankaj Naqvi and Vivek Agarwal said. Further, it added

“We fail to understand that if the law permits two persons even of the same sex to live together peacefully then neither any individual nor a family nor even the state can have an objection to the relationship of two major individuals who out of their own free will are living together,” the judges also said. Moreover “We do not see Priyanka Kharwar and Salamat as Hindu and Muslim, rather as two grown-up individuals who out of their own free will and choice are living together peacefully and happily over a year. The Courts and the Constitutional Courts, in particular, are enjoined to uphold the life and liberty of an individual guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India.…Right to live with a person of his/her choice irrespective of religion professed by them is intrinsic to right to life and personal liberty. Interference in a personal relationship would constitute a serious encroachment into the right to freedom of choice of the two individuals.” Noojahan was jaw struck on listening to Anil’s argument. She felt a bit of flutter in her heart.

Kamadeva and Rati had been looking for a suitable boy and a girl for some time now. That is why they took a leave of absence from the higher world and came to India. They got disturbed hearing about love-jihad and many states lined up to pass laws against love-jihad and inter-religious marriage. They thought it to be stupid. What would happen to their function if love is prohibited?

When they witnessed this conversation, both felt that Anil and Noorjahan were a good choice for their task at hand. Kamadeva secretly took his bow unseen and aimed at Anil and Rati picked up the flower and spread the aroma in the direction of Noor.

Unknown to both Anil and Noor, a chemical reaction began that instant that would shake up the nation. Anil felt a surge of dopamine and he realized he felt so much love for Noor, a reporter from a national TV with known anti-government leanings, whom he had known for the past one year. Noor felt giddy the instant the aroma entered her nostrils and her brain recognized the scent. She wondered if the coffee was drugged. That night she had a sleepless night and felt energetic and euphoric and texted all night with Anil.

Unknowingly Kamadeva and Rathi had chosen their candidates very well for yet another reason. Anil was the son of a cabinet minister and a vocal politician for love-jihad laws. He was considered rabid even among the right-wing party. Noor, a Kashmiri was the daughter of a local politician dead against the abolition of Article 370 and a sworn enemy of Anil’s father.

It was with great delight the reporter from R-Pub TV, who was a rival to Noor, had captured the imageries of love that exploded between Anil and Noor. When the clippings were released in the media all hell broke loose.

Kamadeva and Rathi were satisfied that their mission of love was accomplished in quick time. They knew that love would give the couple the required strength to overcome the opposition that was gathering like a tsunami wave. Kamadeva thanked Shiva in his heart. Shiva smiled for he knew that the nation had reached a tipping point of love.