(Heavily inspired by ideas from Milan Kundera)
Chances give birth to love.
Lightness gives birth to love.
All it takes for two people to be together is a chance encounter. There is nothing preordained.
All elaborate plannings, all grand gestures fail (today). And this is the weirdest thing. We would think when the prince leaves everything aside and claims his princess; his princess should be his. But the fact is, these grand gestures usually fail in the modern post-chivalric world because they are being enacted in the public domain. (Today, there is nothing like anonymity)
If they were secret (unknown to others) they would have succeeded. When the princess finds the prince in front of her, sometimes she backtracks. After he has crossed mountains and has settled in her land so that he can have a chance encounter with her, she feels burdened by his efforts. In her mind, one thought continuously runs “He has uprooted himself for me. He has resettled himself for me. He has changed the equations of his life for me.”
She starts feeling responsible for his life. Even though she knows no one is responsible for anyone’s life. We make choices, and we live with them. Yes, there is luck, but she cannot be held responsible for anyone’s luck. Anyway, the burden of the immense responsibility plays with her mind, making her immune to his efforts, and she begins to overthink.
She should not know about his efforts and sacrifices. He should not burden her with them. Love should not be a burden. She should not know about his sacrifices for her because she is trying her best to hide her sacrifices for him.
A little conversation on the roadside, in a seminar or a restaurant, can lead to a lifetime of being together. Take the example of the train ride Harry took with Hermoine and Ron.
Those trying to help can only do bring them closer for a moment. One moment is enough if both are willing. And then, let both of them choose their lives.
After that, whatever sacrifices they make, will not be a burden either. After that, he will be able to do anything for her.
Thus, no one can help two people in love.
But of course, when it comes to love, all theories fail. Sometimes, it all comes down to luck, and how lightly we are ready to take it. It should be like an adventure. Like we are entering a dark forest, and we don’t know what will happen. That’s what love is. Love is like the light in the forest. It is an open-ended adventure.
You have to make an effort in love. Of course, you have to. But no one should know them. When it is public, and obvious how someone is trying their best, then it becomes a little hard. Not impossible, just a bit hard.
Once again, love is a sum of a few fortuities. It is an accident, and that is why it is so beautiful. It does not need repetition as friendship does.
In the modern world, wherein we have the technology, repetition is easy. The first step is the hardest. It should rather be the easiest, simply because we should never think about the steps that need to be taken.
So, let yourself be free of yourself, don’t overthink. Take that leap. Don’t listen to others if you feel that pull, just give into it. It cannot be more painful than the pain of separation you’d come across if you don’t give into it.
And if you don’t give in to that pull, and yet you are not uneasy about your existence, are you really in love do you really love?