Love is like a butterfly

Love is hardly what our Bollywood movies describe it as. The mild cool breeze blowing across the face, the hearing of music in the air, the happy-go-lucky attitude, the flying dupatta's, etc is nowhere be seen when someone is in love. Infact the worse thing is one hardly even realizes that he/she is in love. It’s only when you go away from the person that the sudden cravingness begins, the sudden void and the sudden realization sets in. A person whom you always regarded as a close friend, a confidant becomes even more closer, becomes more yours and you become entirely his/hers.

It can’t be defined or even explained what love is. Whether it’s the amazing sense of understanding that just a look would be sufficient to convey the feelings or the feeling of one’s presence even if the other is miles away; but for sure it’s the hearts of those in love coming so close that words are replaced by mild whispers and feelings are felt as one.

I had gone on a trek to Korigad a few months ago and happened to meet a friend who I hadn’t met for months. From our last meeting I found Riya to be smart, wise, level headed, practical and single with no intention to mingle. Over the period of time while we were apart I got to know through Facebook that she was now in relationship and later had got engaged. I always wondered what had transpired during that course of time that had brought about such a change. Now was my chance and I didn’t want to miss it.

I took a seat next to Riya in the bus on our way back to Bombay and asked her about the back to back shocks she gave all of us. She replied with a big smile so characteristic of her. She went on to say that she had met her fiancé Amit during a college reunion. They were a part of the same group in college and had lots of fun together. During the reunion they shared memories of the time spent back then and had a gala time. Even after the reunion they continued to keep in touch through sms’, chats, calls, meets, etc. The small conversations had now turned to long ones and frequent connections had turned to constant ones. Due to official work Riya had to shift to The Netherlands for two months. So she and her friend said their goodbye’s and promised to catch up when she returns. However it seemed that even the distance couldn’t keep them apart. Riya had to settle in a new environment and Amit had to settle without her. They now started calling each other with international rates applicable. Soon they realized they were not the ‘just friends’ they regarded themselves to be and craved for each other more than anything else. Before Riya could know it Amit caught a flight to Amsterdam and met Riya in person. They both sat; talked and asked each other the one question they had all this while been asking themselves, “Our we in love with each other?” The answer was clearly out in the open. Both were themselves in each other’s company, were well understood, completely acceptable and couldn’t stand the others absence. They chalked out all the differences they had and how they could deal with them and decided that they would spend their lives together till death did them apart, all this under the romantic Eifel Tower. On returning back to India they told their parents who were more than willing even though there was a cultural difference. Riya and Amit exchanged rings setting the ball rolling.

When I got off the bus I kept thinking about this. Probably it’s true when they say that “Love hits you when you least expect it.” One may think that he is in love but love is something you can just feel and not think about. After all, Love is like a butterfly.