Love

“Don’t pity the dead Harry, pity the living. And above all, those who live without love.”

Love (n)  1. a strong feeling of affection. 2. a great interest and pleasure in something.

Love (v) 1. to feel deep affection.

These are the standard definitions for this four letter word. The four letter word that creates life, destroys life, it even wages war man! So, what is love? Well, I am not entirely sure either, but it’s definitely not just these definitions I took from Wikipedia.

Humans are weird creatures, they can die for love, they can kill for love, they can do anything in the name of love. Countless battles have been fought since the beginning of time for the sake of love, love for your soul mate, love for your country, for your ethnicity, for your identity, love for money, for power, for dominance and national chauvinism. Love isn’t just a four letter word with a little red heart shaped emoticon, hell that’s not even how the real heart looks! Love isn’t all ‘hearts and flowers and rainbows and unicorns’, it’s not about Cinderella finding her Prince Charles or about Sleeping Beauty waiting to be awoken from her eternal slumber by that magical kiss from her one true love, no, for me love is the greatest never ending paradox of the Universe. It’s cold yet warm, it’s dark yet peaceful, it’s ruthless yet caring, it’s cruel yet kind, it’s selfish yet selfless , it kills yet nurtures, it destroys yet protects. How can a single emotion hold so much meaning, so many ironies? 

A single four letter word that can keep the entire world from falling apart, that makes us human. A four letter word that gives a mother the hope that her son will return home safely from the battlefields. A four letter word that makes a 16 year old giggle when she receives a text from her crush. A four letter word that makes a 24 year old throw a party after receiving his first paycheck. A four letter word that brings tears to a 26 year old when her man shows her the engagement ring. A four letter word that makes a 35 year old’s hands tremble while holding his baby for the first time in his arms.

So, what is love again? I don’t know.

What do I understand by the word ‘love’? Definitely not a heart shaped emoticon.

Have I been in love? I’m not sure.

Does it always have a happy ending? Depends on what’s your definition of ‘happy’.

What does love mean to me? Everything and yet nothing.

Paradox, isn’t it?

“Love is a strange master, and human nature is still stranger” – Edgar Rice Burroughs.