Love makes the world go round. Astronomers may not subscribe to this view. Multiplex managers, M&B novelists, greeting card manufacturers and cyber café owners will all ring their cash registers in agreement.
We celebrate love in retrospection. The failed lovers of yesteryears find recurring mentions in the songs of linguistically challenged lyricists and adolescent love notes. A hit love story is usually an unsuccessful one – their bodies couldn’t meet but their souls did types (Did someone say DDLJ?).
A soul of one such immortal in death loverboy would have shed many a tear. After all the Meerut Police have given him a bad name.
Codenamed ‘Operation Majnu‘ policemen and women with nothing better to do (the crime scene had already deteriorated beyond their control) descended upon unsuspecting couples (not necessarily cupid struck) in a city park. How much may we curse television news – the footage beamed across the nation left all sane minded citizens disturbed. Not because of any high expectations from the police force, but their crude behaviour – which we witness daily on city streets – looked even more despicable on national television. The powers that be also took note. The khaki clad ‘upholders of the law’ have since been brought to book.
Love is a dangerous practice. Since the heart knows no logic, love birds are easy prey to the hawks of the moralistic society.
With cities cramped for space, restrictive parents at home, restaurants demanding their pound of flesh – where do lovelorn couples meet? In places public but yet a little secluded to allow a little intimate comfort. Bombay’s Bandstand, Victoria Memorial in Calcutta or Safdarjung’s Tomb in Delhi.
Lovers are an innocent lot, whatever they do is to each other and do not otherwise disturb the well-being of the society. On the other hand, our religious zealots have sworn to make every occasion an extravagent affair. Temples supposedly provide peace to the soul, but the ones surrounding my humble abode is slowly but surely turning me into a vengeful freak.
Give lovers a little space, that’s all that they need. Some respect and a little understanding. We don’t need no Romeo-Juliet, Heer-Ranjha, Shereen-Farhad or Laila-Majnu. We need DDLJ. Who doesn’t like happy endings. Even the pyar ke dushman policewale do.
