Love story 1950. and 2008

Note: A fictitious and exaggerated attempt at humour.

Credit: To a friend I don't chat as frequently as I did.

While I'm still recovering from the shock of having seen a movie called Love story 2050, I will take you on a drive in this time machine that the producers of the film sold out for Rs.25 to cover the losses the film made. But hey, the time machine isn't working properly now - so it just goes back and forth.

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Year 1950: Two lovers from Vile Parle, Bombay.

Year 2008: Two lovers from Vile Parle, Mumbai.

Year 1950 Time: 6:35pm : She's worried. She tells him, "Mohan, we need to leave now. It'll take us twenty minutes to get back home. Baba will be furious if I reach even a minute after 7."

Year 2008 Time: 6:35pm : The 'She' of 2008 is even more worried. She tells him over the phone, "How can you give me such a short notice? I can't reach Bandra at 9.30 - I need some time to get ready! Next time be sensible honey!" She hangs up on him.

Year 1950: A love affair is addressed as 'our love' when they are feeling too bold. Mostly, they just call it 'this'. ("What if Baba gets to know about this?")

Year 2008: Love affairs are in abundance left, right and center. So are the names they have. The names are, in fact, layers - you can be 'dating' each other, 'going around', 'seeing' each other. The level two is when you are 'in a relationship' or when you are 'committed'. Assuming that a higher level in your relationship is not actually when you stoop to a lower level.

Year 1950: You get her a flower that you plucked from your garden. She'll perhaps get sheera * that she has made herself in a tiny brass box. When you say it's tasty, she'll go pink with all the blushing.

Year 2008: She gets your name tattooed on her waist. And flaunts it too. 

Year 1950 and 2008: There are different types of pressures in the lifestyles of both these eras of time. Despite all that, there are lovers, there is love. Like a language, love undergoes changes major and minor - but no living creature can live without both.

After all, if language has been an expression of emotions, love has been the source. Across decades.

Sheera * - A Maharashtrian sweet dish. Its synonym in Hindi is 'Sooji ka halwa'.