‘’What is Love?’’: My entry for the Get Published contest

The Idea -

The story is about a young girl who had big dreams in her small eyes. Intelligent and born into a supportive family, she does well in studies and life; but loves evades her. Or maybe she evades Love. Deciding to take up a professional course, she joins a college and hostel. Despite coming from a small town from Doaba region of Punjab, she befriends many in the hostel. The narrator is one of her closest associates. Leaving college ends another major part in young Milan’s life. She joins an MNC in Delhi, but ‘he’ is not able to make into the big league and earns only hand to mouth in the same city. The ‘love’ comes to a sad end as she realizes that both have moved apart in life. She prepares for her marriage ahead to ‘a settled guy’ chosen by her parents. Will Love always evade her or will she find it in her new life?  

What Makes This Story ‘Real’–

It’s a story which derives inspiration from my life in hostel during my studies. Late night gossips brought forth a large number of heartaches out in open back then. Life was simple with ‘love in the air’ all through till the time one entered the examination room. Examination of life!  With money and ‘well settled life’ taking over as a priority, Love took a back seat. The story becomes real since it relates to the changing Indian genre we see today who want a little extra in life. The story could be anyone’s, you, me or the girl on the adjacent bed in my hostel room.

Extract (Optional but recommended -

In the darkness of the night, a muffled sob disturbs the silence of the room……She turns and twists on her bed with tears streaming down her rosy cheeks. A soft glow fills the room with moon high in the sky and stars shining on the beautiful night. The garden overlooking her terrace is basked in the silver moonlight with breeze flowing; touching the hearts of two young lovers who are meeting stealthily;   away from the stealing eyes of the world. Somewhere far in the night, distant cries of an Owl are heard with croaks of the toads from the pond adding to the music in the garden.

She suddenly sits up in her bed and looks around. The comfort of the arms of her lover, the warm air from his breath and the hum of his snoring; which kept her always awake is missing today. She starts to cry and thinks back of the golden times of her life…….

“Life cannot be sustained by Love alone”, were her last words to him that evening.

Today the maroon dress lies in one corner of her room, with matching jewelry sets. The hena on her hands has dried but the eyes still seem wet. And she lays back thinking, what Love actually was?     

Endnote: This is my entry for the HarperCollins–IndiBlogger Get Published contest, which is run with inputs from Yashodhara Lal and HarperCollins India.