Constance

By Adithi Vijaya Kumar

Ill-fated lovers, star-crossed skies, intertwined destinies. They all have one thing in common, -- unfulfillment. We spend our entire lives in await of these prophecies. Hoping that someday, the universe will prove itself right and orchestrate what can only be described as a miracle. Besides the obnoxious monotony of reality, we all look for this little bit of fantasy in our real lives. Writers have ruined innumerable lovers, feeding them the idea of a love that may or might never happen, satiating them with its mere possibility.  

But can yearning ever be love? Desire is entirely involuntary thus making it impersonal. What you cannot control is a matter of feeling and not emotion. We always equate falling in love with being the greatest thing imaginable, but isn’t building a life far greater? Choice always outweighs chance. 

When we talk about love stories, we begin with stolen glances, cheeky conversations and undeniable attraction. This leads to the tumultuous relationship, endless arguments and maybe in the end a proposal. The wedding marks the end of a love story and begins a marriage which exists as a societal expectation of a union. After this point, love is obligatory. It’s “supposed” to exist or you’re doing something wrong. You’re somehow expected to retain the spark of a relationship whose most exciting portion was secretly meeting in the parking lot during college. Circumstance is heavily tied to feeling, and this leads us to believe that certain emotions can only exist in the past because of the “way it was”.

But love is about creating. It is about creating a more comfortable, fulfilling life for the one you love. It is the patience you practice, empathy you express and the appreciation you admiringly convey. Sparks fly but love flows, into every nook and corner of one’s heart, carving its way through our tough walls. Love never needed any saving. 

By Adithi Vijaya Kumar