Navrasa: Love

i. Windswept summer sunlight, the dizzy array of carnival lights dance across your eyes and laughter echoes all around you. Laughter hidden under her tongue, she smiles. Raspberry-tender and mint-leaf sweet, always with a smile and with love running through your heart, you look at her.

ii. Wine-dark freezing skies against the fire of the tears burning down your cheek. Your heart is a mosaic— a spider web of grief-stained glass. Choke on your sobs as the hurt tendrils around your throat. And then there she is, putting a blanket over your shoulders, handing you a cup of tea and she just sits there- quietly and next to you. It’s so simple. Yet your heart aches, but this time it’s not because of the grief— it aches for her.

iii. You lay in the guava coloured field, peach petalled peonies surrounding you. She lays besides you and hands you a slice of grapefruit. You’re dizzy— is it because of the honey dewed sunlight or her caramel stained eyes?

iv. The sleep stained summer afternoon is spent in the supermarket aisle. You laze against the trolley cart while she picks out the vegetables on her list. She’s been inspecting the capsicum for the past ten minutes- maybe if she stares enough, she could crack some secret code. You are tired. Finally, she places the capsicums in the cart and slips her fingers through yours. You would give up sleep forever for her.

v. The rain crystallises around you, falling and gleaming as it runs down your skin. Adrenaline courses through your veins like the scattered lightning and make its way to your thunder-stained heart. She smiles— her diamond teeth making up for the hidden stars in the sky. The glassy rains fall down her wet hair and onto the asphalt. You love her. And she loves you back.

vi. You look at each other. Not like love is a secret, something to be hidden away from the world, but like love is a flight of a dozen doves— ready to take flight. Gardens will bloom forever under your lovesick desire.

Written by Tanya Jain for MTTN
Edited by Alankriti Singh for MTTN
Featured image by Ashitha Melissa for MTTN