What Is Love?

That was one goofy Saturday. I was taking a random, comforting walk. On the oddly empty Chennai roads. Soon a young flood erupted. No not the Water Flood. Enough of that scare. This was the other animated flood. The flood of youngsters. Some tuition class was over maybe. Smiley blokes withering and tethering. One by one they vanished from the scene. Till there remain a girl. And a boy. Of course a boy. He took out a crippled piece of paper. Threw it carefully in front of her cycle. Sat back upon his cycle-seat. And flew away past me. I could notice his scarred face. Heck, I could even recognize it. Years ago, I was that face. Yeah, been there done that. Back to the girl then. She peeked at the letter. Thought about picking it up. Then thought against it. Maybe her resolution surpassed her incessant want. And she rode away. With a confused sorry face. So that was that. End of a love story. Or maybe the start of it. Ahh, the teenage years.

I trudged along. Cardinally towards that piece of paper. Hoping against the hope of finding a Gold Mine. Not really. Just following the human urge of finding whatever that is hidden. Whatever that is scandalous, is attractive. So, there I was. Picked it up. Straightened it. I love you, it read in that immaculately decorated hand-writing. The work had so much perfection. So much honesty. Even I would have replied 'I love you too' to that piece of art. Came back home. Still not being able to let the letter go. Read it again. I loved it again. The Chandler in me questioned loudly, "How could she not even see this.. this beautiful little thing? Where is she from? Ignorepur, Unaware Pradesh?". Poor guy. I loved her so much. Or did he? Or was that love? What is love? Stop. Just stop there.

Now, this is one big-big question. Bigger than 'When is next Avengers movie releasing?'. Or 'How many guys did Indrani Mukherjee actually marry?'. Or even, 'Where to find and kill the guy who invented Mondays?'. Bigger than every other question out there. Hmm. So...lets jump into this whirlpool of a puzzle. Headfirst. What is love?

Maybe, I'm incapable to write about this.

Advertisement

I don't know what is love. But then, if we really go by that parameter, I would be incapable to write about most things in the world. Let's chuck the logic then. Anyways, there ain't no logic in love mate.

Ishq waala Luvvv. Amazing little phenomenon, isn't it? The most celebrated emotion in our world. A world on its own. Like in that cute Pixar movie. Can already imagine a jungle, where feelings lived. Love being the lion. The king of the jungle. Others, just the commoners. Sadness the elephant, humor the monkey, persistence the woodpecker, jealousy the snake, kindness the butterfly and so on. Love is also, most definitely, the cliff, where irony commits suicide. I mean, people laugh and cry for it. They get scared and find courage through it. Live and die over it. Everybody is either fighting for it. Or fighting over it. Or fighting through it. Seems like everybody is understanding, 'What is Love?'. Everybody except me.

And yet, when I leave for an assignment. Waving that choked-up 'Good Bye' at the airport. To my Ma. I can feel it. In the beating of my heart. Maybe that is love. Maybe not.

Trust? Yes. It has to be trusted! Or Friendship? Pyaar Dosti hai. Our very own Mr. Valentine SRK said it. Friendship then. But it can also be infatuation, fondness, respect, devotion, kindness, passion, worship, attachment, appreciation, pain. These are all the words that I can think of. However, these are mere words. And nothing still describes the feeling when I leave my Ma. So, I get stuck again, What is Love?

Let's just settle on this then. Even a Titanic-sized word cannot ever withstand the entire iceberg called Love. But, whatever it is, we all do agree that it is beautiful. It is everything we dream about and nothing we don't. Everything we need it to be and nothing we don't. All of us mortals are clueless wanderers. Stranded in the middle of this vast sea, called life. Love is that one wooden log we have. So, lets just shut up, and hang on to it while we can.

Go on then, tilt your back, spread your arms, widen your smile. Fall in love. But first, do answer, 'What is Love?'