On a beautiful Sunday I ventured out to go to a temple. I reached the railway station and was waiting for my train. As I was looking around the sea of people surrounding me, one particular couple caught my attention. They didn’t seem to be married. Nevertheless, they seemed to be very much in love with each other. Both of them sat cozily wrapped in each other’s arms, whispering sweet nothings to each other and sometimes conversing only through their eyes. They were oblivious to the world around them. In their view "Love" meant to be with each other for as long as possible without being disturbed or without unwelcome interference.

 Intending not to disturb them with my stares I started looking at my watch and at the signal. Just then a girl child, about 3 years old, came over. She was in rags, her hair disheveled and her interesting face was streaked with dried tears. Her eyes were furtively searching for someone. Intermittently she was distracted by the happenings at the refreshments stall or the happy families going on vacation. But she would again get back to her searching mode. When I caught her glance I smiled at her and she had a look of surprise on her face. Slowly her lips widened into a smile and then she started laughing. For her, "Love" meant the warm touch and affection of a loving person, even better if it was a member of her family.

 As my train arrived I waded through the human wave and got into a bogie. After about two stations I managed a seat for myself. I saw a woman in front of me helping her daughter finish her homework. Obviously, she was making the most of her journey time. I could see in her eyes the love for her child, and it meant giving a bright
future for her loving daughter and to ensure all her dreams are fulfilled.

 I reached the temple and went about the rituals. The priest who was performing the rituals was in his sixties. He had obviously "been there and done that". And while he blessed the younger lot who came to pray, I felt I heard him say “How stupid can you
youngsters get to think that love is all about superficial things and material possessions. "Love" my dear ones, is the eternal bond between your soul and the spirit of the Almighty”.

 I absorbed the essence of this message and came out of the temple. On the temple steps I saw a very old woman begging. She had so many wrinkles on her face and body….., each wrinkle telling a tale of its own and all of them put together indicating how much of life the woman had seen. As I dropped a coin in her bowl the woman looked at me. Her eyes were dry and her face ex-pressionless. For her, true love meant the
feeling of peace one would experience when the soul is freed from the bondage of the body. It is the eternal calm that one experiences 6 feet under. And Alas! One does not live any longer to explain how beautiful that feeling is!!

Therefore, my dear friend, when you try to define the indefinable feeling that is Love, just remember…..

…….To Each His / Her Own