By Mehar-un-nisa
Few months back I went to a book fair organized at the University of Karachi, with one of my friends. Being a bibliophile, both of us were in search of some books. I was interested to purchase some novels so was she. While looking for some books I found a book “forty rules of love- a novel of Rumi” by Elif Shafak. I found the cover and title of the book so impressive that I decided to purchase in the first place.
As you all know well that there is always a villain in every love story. Here the villain between “US” was my friend who saw the title and rejected immediately the idea to purchase it. On my asking the reason she said, “Your mind will be occupied by all ill thoughts after reading this book. There are no concrete rules of love applied to all.”
Though I totally agree with the last part of her statement I had a strong objection on the first part. Why would she think this book would have any negative impact on my mind? I mean it’s a book. Okay? And she didn’t read it at all then how could she possibly jump to such conclusion?
She dragged me out of the shop and I was puzzled what to do. I heard somewhere let the flow carry you to your destiny. I just followed the path with her and stepped out of book fair purchasing no book.
I thought the nature never wants me to read that book as there was a hurdle from nature to buy it.
I almost forgot it until one day while using Facebook I found my friend is reading the very book. My heart skipped a beat and I regretted myself for not reading it. Soon I asked him to send the link of this ebook so that I can read it. He shared; I downloaded and started reading it.
These days I am reading the story and Needless to say I am touched by the story, its theme and the spiritual guidance I am having from it, cannot be expressed in words. It’s a must read for those who enjoy reading spiritual novels.
I share my feelings and activities with others, you can count it as my bad habit but I make it my good quality as I believe to spread the harmony by sharing and expressing ourselves to others and involving them in good cause as well.
Compelled by my nature I shared with my Facebook friends that I am reading a novel these days named Forty Rules of Love. One of my Facebook friends laughed again and again repeating forty rules of love. Like many others he misinterpreted the meaning and start laughing. Another friend responded, “What are you reading these days?”
Here, in front of the screen, I was so sad to know that everybody is interpreting love in the same way. They are not accepting the fact that love cannot be confined to a single relationship only. This feeling is not associated with someone special only. The concept of love is so vast that it’s impossible to encapsulate it to a single definition. There are billions shades of love that we often witness in our daily life yet we never consider them as it never falls under ‘our’ definition of love.
I feel our perception of love is so blur at times. I believe, perceptions set and mold the pattern of any individual’s life. Perceptions lay the foundation of behavior and help to decipher the messages. Perceptions, being the building blocks of beliefs, make a huge difference in terms of behavior. If we perceive a thing positively only then would we be able to decipher a message positively.
When I was sharing I am reading ‘Forty rules of love’ people were interpreting it in terms of their definition of love which seems to be confined to a particular relationship. They were thinking about a love between girlfriend and boyfriend or perhaps lover’s relationship-Which was not the case. The novel reveals that love and spiritually are not apart but the same.
After getting this kind of feedback on love I started to wonder what love is.
According to me love is the integral part of this universe. It’s everywhere. I feel love is in the air. New dawn of day spreads nothing but a message of love. The rhythm of rain says more of love than anything else. Every beat of heart conveys the message of love and harmony.
On my return from university it makes me “love” the moment when I find a bottle of cold water in the refrigerator. Don’t we have moments when we “love” to wear a certain dress for a specific occasion? The moment we take the first bite of burger isn’t adorable? Isn’t that love that we feel for things in the world?
I found the love of authors in their write ups. Their writings are love for their readers, literature, society, and this world. Poetry is a treasure of love for its readers. The immense glee a person experiences after reading a book is another kind of love for that particular book. A sweet movie, a beautiful melody, an enchanting song all are forms of love.
Today I was discussing the same topic with my mother and she cried by recalling old time. She said,”I love all those mornings and evenings when all family members used to sit together, all brothers sisters, laughing and there were singing sparrows on the roof of our home. Now everything is changed completely.”
Even I remember my home that I left in 2005 for good. It’s the only home that I often see in my dreams and not any other. Yes I love that home and I will always love it from the bottom of my heart. I remember those walls. I can even feel the texture of walls today.The house is ruined but it will always be a sweet home for me-that’s love!
If we make a list of things or moments we love the most then many similarities would be witnessed. For example, most of us love babies, flowers, tea, family, country, places, books, balloons, food, sea, nature, colours, and fragrances. Don’t we? If yes then why only one perception replaces all the beauty of concept? Why when I say I love, one would predict the other word “Someone” not my dearest “Samosa”.
Although there are different degrees of love but I feel that it exists in everything and everywhere. It DOES exist. We should appreciate every form, colour and shade of love no matter what. We need to open our hearts to accept love rather interpreting other meanings. We need to broaden our heart and mind in order to feel the versatility of love.
Rising Thoughts... 