My friend Meha Dhondiyal asked her trademark ‘random weekend question’:
‘What is your romantic advice for young people?’
As a practitioner, here’s my answer:
Have lots of (safe) sex. Don’t give a damn about what society thinks. Hold hands. Kiss. Go away together. Show PDA. Shout your love from rooftops. Be vocal about love. Remember, if you’ve to hide a relationship, you shouldn’t be in it. Duniya gayi tel lene. Jo bhi karna hai, khullam khulla. Jalne wale jalaa jalaa karein, humein unse kya? Don’t worry about what anyone else thinks. They’re just jealous.
Oh, and by the way, when it ends, as it will, don’t fret. Move on. Remain friends. Once again, don’t give a fuck for what anyone else expects or wants you to do. Look ahead, not back. Find more love. Nothing lasts. But that shouldn’t stop you from (a) trying to make it, and (b) enjoying it while it does.
And lastly, remember, giving and receiving love is the same thing. You can’t have one without the other. Being in love is like a boxing bout. Both have to agree on the rules of engagement. If one of the two (or three, or four, or whatever number, depending on your and their inclination) doesn’t, it ceases to be a boxing match and becomes a beating.
So, consent, fearlessness, and safety are the keywords. Be yourself. Enjoy yourself. And when you aren’t doing either, call it off and exit gracefully.
‘Nuff said. Now, go exchange some bodily fluids. Or hold hands. Whatever.
