First Love

Don’t know how many remember the song from Sunitha Rao that stormed into our lives one day:
Pari Hoon Main, Mujhe Na Choona

The video showed a girl falling in love with her teacher & getting hurt in the bargain. Needless to say, it was her first love, also the first time she had been hurt in love. The number of times it would break again…who knew. There was something magical about the song & the lyrics sure touched young girlie hearts.

Whoever has ever forgotten her first love? First love is very special. There is such a rush of emotions & perpetual excitement. It is then that you realize you are desirable. It makes you feel beautiful & wanted. And you want that feeling to last (if not the man, hihihi!!). You want to surrender your heart & soul to him because that is the most precious thing you have. You hope fervently that he continues to admire you all your life (till the mild shock called ‘marriage’ happens, if at all!).

The movies screw our minds with images of lovesick, handsome men pining for a woman’s love & beauty. And you wish there would be a man who would pine for your love too. Kisi mahaan aadmi ne theek kaha tha. It truly is better to have loved & lost, than never to have loved at all.

When Binu proposed to me, it took me a long time to say ‘yes’. But I must admit that even when I used to rebuff him, it definitely felt great to be wooed. The whole chase situation, the attempts to please you, the willingness to put up with any “natak / nakhras”, the many little ways they try to catch your attention, the countless things they do to impress you … oh men are great in love! I think it’s a man’s persistence in trying to win your heart that actually makes you fall in love with him. You reason, "In spite of my many No’s if he is still trying so hard to win me over, he must love me very much indeed". Oh! What wouldn’t a girl do to be truly loved by a man?

But hey, whatever happens to them when they finally do get the girl? And the moment the girl becomes wife, there is this major kahani mein twist. Is it true that we are only a conquest for you? That you tire of the ‘pataofy’ game? That once you actually get us, you want to hang up your boots & rest & relax? That now we must handle the maintenance part of the relationship because you think you have already done your bit?

Haven’t you heard Bryan Adams sing, “Have you ever really, really loved a woman?” Don’t you know loving us is a life-long investment of time? The undivided attention, the priceless, well-thought out gifts, the completely honest, heart-felt praises, please keep them coming.

No, we never tire of being praised. And admired. And being told that we look like a million bucks every day; even on the days when we are spread out on the floor scrubbing it clean in our old nighty! What do you have to lose, after all? Two sweet words a day from our pati parmeshwar’s holy lips keeps our engines running for life. How’s that for, to put it in your words, great mileage/low maintenance/super performance/excellent return on investment?

Hate us, if you must, but please don’t ignore us. Answer all our calls. Praise us at least twice a day. Admire our purchases. Shower us with sudden gifts (Whoever said gifts are only for special occasions like anniversaries & birthdays?) Pamper us with your time. Listen when we speak. Hold us tight. Tickle us into joyous laughter. Remember, we fell in love with you in the first place, because you made us laugh. Let humor be the greatest of all your gifts to us. We love you. You know we do.