Love so simple...

Aah, Valentine's Day is just round the corner!! The day about chocolates, gifts and cards and last but not the least Love! So am I going to start the hue and cry over Valentine’s Day that most single people are accused of doing since they cannot celebrate it themselves? Not really. I am trying to contrast the love that I see around me and an unadulterated version of love that I believe still exists beyond the teddies and cakes.

My idea of love (as in, relationship with the opposite sex) has changed over the years. As I grew up, the emphasis on a check list (of the characteristics of the Mr. Right) kept on reducing and the importance of compatibility and companionship went up. However even with all the mature catchwords (like the ones italicised above) somehow I have never ignored the materialistic part of it. In fact, the materialistic/ career aspects of a prospective companion seem to be taken for granted. It’s like there is no question of going out with/ getting married to some one who has less of the moolah. The fervour of love without all the material aspects seems lost somewhere. Not that I am complaining about the materialistic part, but it’s just a thought that probably love is no more unconditional (may be it never was).

I would not have realised this had I not seen this couple sometimes back. I really hope that I do not get into trouble for publishing their snaps; I cannot but ignore their simplicity and innocence which is evident from the photographs. I cannot imagine myself going to a park and not to a mall or a 5 star restaurant for an evening out, I cannot imagine sitting on a make shift swing, made of the prop roots of a tree, or feeling shy when I see a couple of girls clicking photographs of me and my husband (in fact I will make the girls pay if they click photographs without permission:-P). Coming back to them, I am very happy that there are still people who can see beyond the plethora of presents that couples today shower on each other. Perhaps, their love will still be strong if he gifts her gajra and not a flower bouquet worth 1000 bucks or more.

It may be argued that what’s wrong in splurging gifts as long as a couple can afford it? I think it’s more of a question as to whether the love will last when the couple cannot afford it. I do not want to clamour over card and gift manufacturers making business out of love by creating occasions such as Valentine’s Day, Rose Day etc and I am not saying that its wrong to gift something to someone you love. But the point really is that love is put to test when things are not all that sugary and these special days of celebrating love really do not ensure if some one will stick on when hard times befall. [If you really want to know what I mean by sticking to the person during tough times, check out these videos (might be depressing): 1 & 2.] With all this materialistic outlook I am not sure how many of us can actually stand that test of time. I have seen quite a few relations break when a better ‘option’ came along; all the musings about being in love were forgotten and all gifts were thrown out of the window. Perhaps my description of love is still crude and relies on the age old definition of love being an ‘intense feeling of affection, an emotion or an emotional state’. But if love does not ensure support and companionship when required the most, all the dazzle really doesn’t matter.