Last evening at 6.30 pm I spotted a young couple stopping by every house in my street and striking a quick conversation with the watchman. I had no clue if they were they searching for a door number or looking for a missing child, but I could not afford to miss the cloud of anxiety replace excitement when spoke to the watchman.
Are they newly wedded? I looked at her neck and toes for the marriage license, but the dim street light sponsored by Chennai Corporation returned my scan with an inconclusive result. They must be in their upper twenties, and very much looked like our Madhavan and Shalini from the movie “Alaipayuthey”, so next door, and eyes loaded with love and anxiety.
How many times do we come across a young couple holding hands and anxiously walking the streets? I know it sounds like a scene right out of the movie, but how could I ignore a couple in love and anxiously pacing my street?
I intercepted the couple and asked if I could be of help to them. And before the young man replied I scanned him from head to toe and then came back to catch his lips move. He was my height, 5’10’’, and clad in business attire, sporting a scruffy look, and in perfect shape with no paunch. Since he didn’t sport a paunch, the probability of him being single was higher. While he kept talking, I quickly scanned the young women. She was his height, clad in a hand printed mauve color Salwar without a duppatta, with no bindi on her forehead and her hair let down. What a pair! Bombay Kadhala?
I was lost looking at the couple’s simple beauty, their complementing personalities, and how they let each other speak and at the same time paused and completed each other’s sentences. My heart felt they were still in love with each other and always in love to be with each. By the time I scanned the couple and made my first impressions, the man had almost completed answering my question. All I remember hearing was that they were looking to rent an apartment in the street.
The young woman’s casual evening wear contrasted her body language. Her speech and facial expression confirmed that she was definitely more anxious among the two. Her body language clearly said that this is the man of my life, we are starting a life together, and we want rent a place to start our life together and grow our love. How could I turn blind to such passionate, innocent and rightful claims of love walking my street?
Before responding, I asked them a few preliminary/customary questions – their budget, no of bedrooms and how soon they were looking to rent. My mind was again on a trip recollecting the song “Puthu Vellai Mazhai” song from the movie Roja. Madhubala’s expressions of innocence, blossoming of first love, and trust she had in the man dawned in the young woman’s face. And the young handsome Arvind Swami was resplendent with confidence, zest for life, courage and joy from bringing her into his life.
During the interaction they revealed they were classmates from college and were classmates of my neighbor who also got married to his love from college. Were they all enrolled in the college of love? They must have been in love for atleast for 6+ years and they had grown their love to the next level. They also revealed that were trying to find something on their own to avoid broker commissions and use that money towards furnishing their home. They were not banking on their parents and they knew their priorities, responsibly managing their finances, and how they wanted to start their life, and all they needed was a roof!
I felt intoxicated and enamored like the vanaras in the jungle watching Rama and Sita in love. Having bet on the wrong horse twice in my life and my dreams still being dreams, I wanted to play a small role in their life. I wanted to help them find a roof for their love and I wanted a small part in their love story.
And within the next few minutes the three of us walked down the street sharing anxiety and joy. That evening I went home with an invite for their wedding and I felt like I was holding my own wedding invite, I was ecstatic, exuberant and for the first time I felt I had won in love. I also felt I had known them longer than love.
Are they newly wedded? I looked at her neck and toes for the marriage license, but the dim street light sponsored by Chennai Corporation returned my scan with an inconclusive result. They must be in their upper twenties, and very much looked like our Madhavan and Shalini from the movie “Alaipayuthey”, so next door, and eyes loaded with love and anxiety.
How many times do we come across a young couple holding hands and anxiously walking the streets? I know it sounds like a scene right out of the movie, but how could I ignore a couple in love and anxiously pacing my street?
I intercepted the couple and asked if I could be of help to them. And before the young man replied I scanned him from head to toe and then came back to catch his lips move. He was my height, 5’10’’, and clad in business attire, sporting a scruffy look, and in perfect shape with no paunch. Since he didn’t sport a paunch, the probability of him being single was higher. While he kept talking, I quickly scanned the young women. She was his height, clad in a hand printed mauve color Salwar without a duppatta, with no bindi on her forehead and her hair let down. What a pair! Bombay Kadhala?
I was lost looking at the couple’s simple beauty, their complementing personalities, and how they let each other speak and at the same time paused and completed each other’s sentences. My heart felt they were still in love with each other and always in love to be with each. By the time I scanned the couple and made my first impressions, the man had almost completed answering my question. All I remember hearing was that they were looking to rent an apartment in the street.
The young woman’s casual evening wear contrasted her body language. Her speech and facial expression confirmed that she was definitely more anxious among the two. Her body language clearly said that this is the man of my life, we are starting a life together, and we want rent a place to start our life together and grow our love. How could I turn blind to such passionate, innocent and rightful claims of love walking my street?
Before responding, I asked them a few preliminary/customary questions – their budget, no of bedrooms and how soon they were looking to rent. My mind was again on a trip recollecting the song “Puthu Vellai Mazhai” song from the movie Roja. Madhubala’s expressions of innocence, blossoming of first love, and trust she had in the man dawned in the young woman’s face. And the young handsome Arvind Swami was resplendent with confidence, zest for life, courage and joy from bringing her into his life.
During the interaction they revealed they were classmates from college and were classmates of my neighbor who also got married to his love from college. Were they all enrolled in the college of love? They must have been in love for atleast for 6+ years and they had grown their love to the next level. They also revealed that were trying to find something on their own to avoid broker commissions and use that money towards furnishing their home. They were not banking on their parents and they knew their priorities, responsibly managing their finances, and how they wanted to start their life, and all they needed was a roof!
I felt intoxicated and enamored like the vanaras in the jungle watching Rama and Sita in love. Having bet on the wrong horse twice in my life and my dreams still being dreams, I wanted to play a small role in their life. I wanted to help them find a roof for their love and I wanted a small part in their love story.
And within the next few minutes the three of us walked down the street sharing anxiety and joy. That evening I went home with an invite for their wedding and I felt like I was holding my own wedding invite, I was ecstatic, exuberant and for the first time I felt I had won in love. I also felt I had known them longer than love.
