I enjoy watching couples in love. Seriously. I could be sitting in a restaurant, at an airport or even in an operation theatre and I'd be smiling just watching couples laugh and tease each other. It's my perversion. I'm like that old man, sitting in the parkbench, feeding pigeons and just enjoying watching couples happy around each other. ( Ok, ya, you have a point - me sharing food isn't very likely so let's skip the feeding pigeons bit).
But then I know all that glitters isn't gold, either. I'm no stranger to that phrase in this context. I know every couple has their ups and downs, that not many of the young lovebirds I observe will finally make it to the altar, that fate has many a twist left in store.
Which is why I always counsel people who ask to keep working at love, to put in the extra effort, to learn to compromise. In all these years, I've played Cupid ( yes, with an extra large diaper !! ) many a time - helping start relationships, giving sound and unsound advice when needed, taking the blame for one's mistake to avoid their relationship failing, helping them eloping across countries and yes, even in breaking up relations that were harmful to one of the members.
Why am I such a staunch believer in the power of love ?
Because in almost every case I know, the person has become a better man/woman after falling in love. It's an elixir like none other - once you learn to see beyond yourself and think about someone else's wellbeing, you're immediately on the road to being a greater person than you once were.
Which is why the next incident annoyed me.
There's this girl. ( I refuse to call her woman, inspite of her age... age isn't a criteria for anything except those scary rides in the amusement park, kids.. always remember that. Ok, ya. Underage sex too. ) Anyway, she's is in a long distance relationship with a guy she met awhile back and who's madly in love with her. Now she has a bad test in college. It's inconsequential really, as far as exams go. But then she goes and hypes it up and whines about it to her boyfriend who's many an airmile away. She makes it up to be a life changing exam and starts her water works.
Guy in love does something really touching. Even though he has work the next day, he boards a flight from Delhi to Mumbai,travels another 100 odd kms and lands up at her place at 8pm just to see her (P.S. She has no landlord curfews ). Rather than spend quality time with him, she calls out her coworkers to show them that this is how her boyfriend is, tells him she's not hungry so isn't coming with him for dinner and gives him a pat on the shoulder and a warm handshake and turns away. He has to ask her just to see him off to the gate of the building. And he has to fend the night for himself alone in the city while waiting for his early morning flight back to Delhi and work.
And the girl ? She then does the rounds of all those who she introduced him to with the same queries :
"So what do you think of him ?"
"Is he good enough for me ? I think he's fat ?"
"This is my power. I can make him come when I want."
I know. I know. Everyone probably has a tale to tell like this, with gender reversal most likely - the boy being the tool and playing with the girl's feelings. I don't disagree. But honestly, I just felt so disgusted at this.
Inspite of being ubiquitous, Love is so damn precious and rare in this world. You really do need to be blessed to be loved. And here, when someone travels all those miles just to show moral support for the one he loves, all you can do is parade him around like a prize stallion and then kick him off and go around telling everyone "This is my power. I can make him come when I want" ?
Mr God, I know you're drunk sometimes while handing out love connections ( Two timing , fan screwing, gangbanging Ashley Cole gets Cheryl Cole ? I mean, really ??? Just cause he can kick a ball, he gets that piece of goddess !! I can kick a ball too and I can't even get my dog to acknowledge me in the morning unless I share my breakfast with her !!), but I really hate it when you give it to people who are so undeserving and who just take advantage of someone else's feelings.
That's not done, dude. You're spoiling the image of love for us humans down here. Pay more attention next time you're handing out love coupons, okay, Big G ?
Some people don't deserve it. More importantly, some people don't deserve to have their feelings treated like a joke and their love treated like a chewtoy.
