With every century, the definition of romance has undergone great alterations. In the ancient ages, there were the bards singing about the gallant prince falling in love with the fairy princess; the most befitting example has to be the love story of the Helen of Troy and Paris in the “Iliad” by the blind poet Homer. Those were the days when two people really completed each other and were in love for eternity. Wars could be fought for the person they loved. The dreamy eyes and the sweet seductions were most sought for and cherished equally.
Some were lucky in love, some were not. Centuries passed. Then came the middle ages – the start of mercantilism, savagery, economics, lust for wealth and power; basically a commercialization of everything, including romance. This was also the period which saw a flourishing of art and culture in almost all the major civilizations of the world. There was still the starry eyed damsel waiting for the prince to sweep the maid off her feet. A change had already started. Romances were still there but society started to become an impediment. It is not that society was not an impediment before; just that it was more in force now. Still romance in the truest sense prevailed.
Coming to the Modern era beginning with the industrialization and colonization, the machines of change rolled again only to provide a grim picture. Love took a backseat. It was more about caste, religion, wealth, sect, colour and race. Rules became stringent and societies breathed down on lovers. True love was subsided without any questions asked for the family. The guy loves a girl but cannot be together forever because the society disapproves; they are not of the same social strata; and a million of other reasons.
It would be wrong to say individuals have stopped loving in the present age. It is just that the parameters of love have changed and again, there could be thousand reasons for the same. Men and women can still love each other passionately if they would just leave their heart open to the miraculous feeling called romance. These days it is more of sex and deception under the garb of love. The physical needs determine the love which I find to be completely wrong. You cannot be physically active throughout the period of your existence but you can love till the day you die.
A wide gap has been created between the family and the individual. Let me give you an example- a friend of mine loves a guy but is reluctant to profess her love because she FEARS her family. Not that they are the typical high-handed patriarchal household but because the boy is not a Sikh. She asks me what the future of this relation is when her parents would not even approve. So what is the problem here? She does not want to hurt her family but is hurting herself everyday. Not that I am advocating she goes against her family and abandon everything; but what about the guy and her feelings. Down the years they will get married to the prospective partners chosen by their parents but somewhere the sadness will prevail till the end.
The great romance of the erstwhile centuries has gone down the drain. No more are great romances seen; it is only present in films and books; something desirable but very far and no one is willing to take the step of crossing one’s inner barriers. In place of romance, fear has deep rooted itself. Fear has become the stumbling block for people. It is fear which raises its fangs when a man or a woman wants to travel the path of love.
As Shakespeare said, the world is a stage and we are just actors. We take birth astride of a grave. Therefore, death is inevitable and an act of creation too. So why not fill ourselves with love and romance till we perish to take birth again; and do something that stands apart from the rigmarole of existence? Childhood, livelihood, marriage, family, old age, grief and sadness are all there. But why do not we fall in love? Why do we shy away from love? Only handful of people can ever understand the meaning of love. It truly transcends all barriers.