That wonderful thing called LOVE!

There are 4 important things a man's life revolves around; Oxygen, Food, Water and Love!

Yes, love! What do I say about that wonderful thing called love? All the great poets and writers and directors and teachers and philosophers have at some or the other time talked about this wonderful feeling of love! In fact, what do I write that has not yet been discovered about love? In my experience of 17 years, 7 months and 8 days, I've encountered love at almost all stages of life. Be it my parents, family, friends, teachers, critics or admirers! Love has been present since day one of my life! But describing it is a tough job.

It started when my mother gave birth to me, when my father lifted me in his arms, when my grand parents cried with joy, when my family talked only about me. Although, the last part lasted only till my cousin was born (which was just a few months later)!! But, that was my first encounter with love! And I saw the purest form of Love!

Next, I met love when I entered school, when my teacher drew a happy face on my hand, when my best friend shared her last bite of chocolate with me, when my principal gave me a sweet smile in the corridor, when the peons and ayabens of my school shared their lunch with me! My second meeting with love left me with a sense that love had many different forms and could come from many different people!

The third time I encountered love (although I now believe that it was only a lack of knowledge about love), was when I went to watch a movie in the theatre! When a handsome guy with glistening skin and shining eyes and dark hair and magical words entered the screen! But my dreams were shattered the moment he kissed the girl in the movie!

When I was an adolescent, my mom would try to teach me what love was, or rather what love was not! She tried telling me that a classmate flirting with you, dreaming about your crush, collecting pictures of your favourite actor, writing pages and pages describing the captain of your school's football team, fantasizing your crush, was NOT love. It was mere attraction, which was normal and should not be taken seriously. But, believing things only after I've experienced them, I fell in so-called love.
After all, it was the time when girls of my age were dreaming about their Prince Charming (of course not knowing that it was no time for that). I was the same, reading a lott of love stories and watching only romantic movies. I used to dream about Robert Pattinson, Ruzlaan Mumtaz, Hrithik Roshan, Tom Cruise! I used to wait for the Romeo of Taylor Swift's Love Story to come and take me with him, I imagined the Gerry of Cecelia Ahern's PS I love you, writing love letters to me. I used to dream of being the Kareena Kapoor of Jab We Met, the Avantika of Durjoy Dutta's books! My life then, revolved around romantic books and movies and all my girlfriends and I talked about was, how hot xyz guy was! 
It took me almost 2 years to realize that this is what love definately was not! And I understood my mom's preachings only after my first heart break! But as it is said, the worst experiences of life teach you the best lessons!

I understood that love was all about sacrifice, about honesty, respect, understanding. Love was about being together, no matter how many miles or problems or oceans separate you. I understood that love is not merely a feeling, it is something that goes beyond words. "Don't go searching for love, when the right time comes, love would itself come to you!" I had read this somewhere and my definations of love started changing!

And that is what my fourth and most important encounter with love taught me! It left a long lasting impression on my mind, which would help me understand my future experiences with love! My other encounters with love had also been pleasant. My grand mother sharing her Chocobar with me, tears in my sister's eyes before she went to her in-laws, my li'l brother buying me a Birthday gift after saving his pocket money, my Best Friend giving me an unexpected visit, a smile on a strangers face(this happens only in India), a help from someone I used to hate and many other instances.

But, what all the above experiences made me feel was blessed! Blessed to have the presence of this wonderful thing called LOVE in my life! Something I learnt from different people and experiences in my life! I've solved most of my doubts on the way, but the journey towards discovering other forms of love; is still on.....