The Art Of Fiction In Love And Romance

 

Cassandra Lobo, SYBA

Growing up as a dedicated Bollywood fan, I often blurred the lines between love and romance. I imagined myself in those dreamy scenes where the male lead sang or danced for the female lead. I even secretly wished that my dupatta get stuck in someone’s watch, and then we look at each other, thinking, “Are we meant to be?” Bollywood taught me that if a man loves you, he will do anything to win your heart, whether it be showering you with flowers or pulling you onto a moving train after your father declares, “Ja Simran Ja, Jeele Apni Zindagi”. Romance, as shown on-screen, is grand and destiny-driven, while Love is a feeling that entails care and understanding. Although I have greatly fictionalised romance in my mind, I know that when I genuinely find “The One”, I would be over the moon even if they bought me my favourite candy or gave me a tight hug on a bad day. I will then be able to relate to Taylor Swift’s lyric, “I like shiny things, but I’d marry you with paper rings”, because that, to me, is when romance as a dream comes true.