Love Actually

I sat there amongst the crowd with my cousin, Reshu. We couldn’t talk because the music was too loud. It hadn’t been a satisfying day for either of us. But we sat there enjoying the sight of our relatives dancing to the music. Having some fun of our own, we would laugh at some of them, and at other times we joined them.

The DJ was playing some new happening numbers. Soon he began to play some oldies – for the Amitabh Bachchan fans. And then, on a special request, he played ‘Jab Koi Baat Bigad Jaye’ for all those couples in love. And each one of those couples hit the dance floor, even those who had been sitting and watching the youngsters dance. They did their version of a ball dance with their companion.

I stood there and saw all these happy couples dance... and I was touched by all the love that was around me. I realized I wasn’t meant to be on the dance floor so I went back to my chair and admired the happily married couples. And there were many of them... Some were just married, there were others who were trying for a baby... Some dancing with infants in their hands, some who had been married for the three decades. Some who even had grandchildren. I thought of telling my parents to go and dance when I saw them go. And I smiled to myself. They were just about to finish 25 years!

I would come to tears when I would see such moments in movies. In Hum Tum, one of the songs was picturised in a very similar way – couples of different ages were basking in each others’ love. Seeing this song (and many others in other films) I would wish, teary eyed that one day I also find someone exactly like him. I had begun to think that this existed only in depictions like films, novels, soap operas.

But yesterday when I saw them, I sort of began to believe in forever love again. My doubts all vanished and I knew once again that love is not a figment of a writer’s imagination. I believe once again that Love exists in this big bad world. That even though Hate is filling the world rapidly, Love sits in one lonely corner but infects the hearts directly. That it may take time to come to you... but it comes one day... It may not be any sooner... But it surely comes later...