Pretentious Love

I have heard so much about love and people giving various definitions to it because it is an experience that varies from person to person. It definitely seems to be a beautiful emotion but it is something so rare. Especially the love that people have for each other, if they really do.

Most of the times, they just lie to each other and themselves and don't really realize that actually there is no love between them. I have seen such people. They might have their reasons for living like that. Sometimes, living a lie is more comfortable than the harsh realities that absolutely suck.

I came across many people...countless in fact who intentionally mix things up. In our part of the world, there is this strange wave, that one just has to get married as soon as possible. People, both genders, go mad and absolutely frustrated and angry. They need someone in their life. A spouse so that they meet the norms of the society. When they don't get things done, they take desperate measures. Of ten, love, which is otherwise quite  beautiful is pushed into situations. People push themselves to believe they love someone, whether the person is right for them or if they are right for the other person. But the desire to be like everyone else is so intense, they pretend to be in love. A strange sort of love. A love that only means "I need to get married now or I will go mad" or "I need to settle down cause I can't control my hormones no more". But marriage and love are two different things.

Oh yeah, how can we forget the glorious expression of victory and pride once the goal is achieved. That too, is a sign of people who really, really, really talk a lot about love...their pride is brilliantly visible and flaunted.

Also, this mere desire to actually settle down, move on in life, be like everyone else (since that is considered to be quite normal) sometimes, urges many people to become all green, ugly and vicious. They play games. They pretend nice but their mind is playing a game and actually all they want is to get to their goal. In doing so,  they end  up doing lots of mean shit and hurt or fool many also. 

If love is such a beautiful thing, how can it make people who are so in love so selfish and bitchy? How can people a feeling or desire make people do harmful and spiteful things merely to fit in the norms?

These are just some observations. I have nothing against love. I believe in it. I don't like the way it is abused. Sometimes, I don't even like the fact that some of the most good natured people around don't end up finding true love while many selfish and mean people who actually don't have any patience in them get shit loads of love or attention. If this is all written from before, as I believe, it is, I think it is not so much fun to read.

Nevertheless, inspired by a movie I watched when I was little and the love that Hindi cinema promotes - true and beautiful love and that truth is love, I still feel if anybody is in love with someone somewhere, the best thing is to let the person know, rather than play a mindful game or wait. It just lifts the burden. I would rather take a rejection any day than play a bitchy game against others to attain some fake love to be a part of some pretentious society.

The Curious Case of Wana Kana

This is the story of Wana Kana – a man of innumerable qualities and countless shades of life like a chameleon. We don’t know if he can aspire anyone, but yes what he does very conveniently is raise our curiosity bar. And that should not come as a surprise to us, because this is the very “nice and sweet” curious case of Wana Kana.

Our story goes back many years ago when Wana Kana was a tender boy of eighteen - all excited and enjoying his youth and adolescence. He lived his life to the max at every phase. He was the sweetest brother mankind had ever seen. He smiled with them and posed as the lovely boy with heavy smiles. He was a gem amongst his peers. Leader of the Peers. Deadly as a devil. Dirty as any boy turning out to be a man but with a very high intensity. Heat was always on around him – we too felt it and wondered why? What? Was that a loud gas? Hmmm.

Time flew by and Wana Kana became a grown man. Responsible, aged, established and married too. Marriage was important for him …the all important phenomenon making him complete. But as a result of his excessive happiness, his eyes popped out permanently.

Wana Kana was henpecked. He was the poo of his wife. He was the Complete Wana Kana. Perfect husband as you may say. In his early days of marriage, he used to sing for his wife:

Akeli naa bazaar jaya karo
Nazar lag jayegi
Sab ki nazar main naa aya karo
Nazar lag jayegi

He grew up quickly, but he got fatter and bigger even more rapidly. He bloated with happiness after his marriage and a few devilish kiddos. He got everything at the right time. He had every reason to grow bigger by the day!

Rich Wana Kana loved traveling too. He auctioned an album of his travels. But sadly every picture in the album had lesser of the wonders of the world and more of the Fatso Wana Kana. That was but natural. He couldn’t help it.

So he put on his terribly small shades on his humorously huge face and walked through the streets of the world. He swam all the way across the world. He mingled with all the creatures of the world. He posed and gave the fake smile, but captured every joy and every memory.

Wana Kana had everything and was pretentiously sweet and nice and fake his entire life - fulfilling life to the core! Lovely job, big flashy home, pretty weird wife, devilish kids, adventurous travels and barbaric animalistic friends. All seasons clicked. Every story saved with pride.

And this was the Curiously Fake but True Case of Wana Kana.

He sings and dances madly to the beat now…killing us all the more with his moves…

Yeh lamhe
Yeh pal hum
Barso yaad karay ge
Yeh mausam chalay gaye tou
Hum faryad karay ge
Barso yaad karay ge

Zaira Rahman