HAVE you ever met a de throned lover? Not the type we come across these days, but the true ones; And by the way. those who don’t believe there’s still a thing called "love" in this mighty era of money, please stop reading at this very sentence. Well, since its not a classless society in every yardstick like money, age. religion, style, looks etc.. I know quite a few hearts crippled by denials in many different ways — cheating, no-ing. reasoning, explaining with great affection and the like.

Please don't try to reason with matters of heart, as my Laksmi does, for she is very punctual about it. Sometimes her readiness amazes me : whom she refuses, she treats still with so much sweet behaviour that her refusal, through her skill, looks almost like a favour.

I'm telling you all this because Laksmi is not now here to care. Hypocrisy, right? Stay put. I’ll tell you a little about human’s inhumane hypocrisy.

A surge of feeling leaves me to be angry over one of my friends, a she. because quite some time ago. she let the society rule herself rejecting him (also my friend) with fairy condolence. He was hurt. Deeply, like experiencing death.

Well as the elders' say. "time" and "experience" are the only ways people grow up. Accordingly. they both did — one with a naked hatred for the same society which is giving her a terrible miscarriage of justice: and the other with a naive commitment to the society — precisely the one that gave him a scorching burn.

Now. they are seemingly two helpless (1 may always be wrong) people wondering what they should do with their lives, because the "love" is still there — stronger than in the past. They meet, hug and console each other, but don't want to relay their passion "in public",, pbssibly in their attempts to

gain control: more so. to show allegiance to the necessity-driven "society". Sheer hypocrisy... Now. correct me if I am wrong, isn't this a falsified necessity which betrays their hearts? Well. Laksmi would have said "sometimes, people don't want to hear the truth; they would rather live with illusion". Like always, my

Nymph comes up with a ready reason.

While the way-of-the-world became my friends' glittering bride and groom and airy hopes their children. I kept committing the oldest sin (or is it?) in the newest kind of way — I loved. But as soon as 1 realised that "a little sincerity w"as a

dangerous thing and a great deal of its was absolutely fatal". I did try to convince myself sayr ing: "I had an affair with someone, capable of injuring by beauty, in which there was neither sin nor shame.” It didn't work, I kept running into mental feuds. But Laksmi found shame in it. for I butt into her good "times'' when she was with people of substance around her.

She said ; "Go home, its late, and I'm busy." I felt like the account-keeper who misses the office-bus everyday.

I lay in bed that night thinking about her. and I had to laugh at myself. She really was bewitching, and I. a chimeric fig-qient. She and I are two of a kind — neither of us would ever settle down. The life we lead is "socially" too exciting and stimulating and rewarding. Like my friends, we also don't know what to do with our lives. Well, those who are only interested to know how they should live instead of taking life as it comes are automatically "hypocrites".

Ney, she can’t be so. for she is the one who always tells me: "Live, live all you can: it's a miserably mistake not to.” But it was too late; I wouldn’t have lived the life she was pampering me even if I could. My wheel of life was by then well set around her pristine crudeness.

This reminds me of a song I found interesting to a certain extent (you may not like it). The theme is : if you love many at a time, then keep saying that "I love you"; but if there's only one you are immersed in. say the opposite. Knowing that my dewy-eyed Laksmi will come back to me when the charade is over. I told her: "Cruel, you!", which she was not. She took it literally and got against-ridden with pale cherubic smile.

By the time I reached her with a pool of apologia. there was only spectre which can only be concealed in the tormented carve of my heart.

-EK