Romance is an eternal subject for most poets. Romance, the life giving force. Romance, that changes perceptions and romance makes a dull night a night of poetic thoughts. Romance turns an ordinary flower into a lover's gift to be preserved forever. Romance produces letters that are saved for generations. Romance makes everything look happy and cheerful.

Romantic feelings change perception. One who had never thought of reading a poetry, begins writing one. That is romance. One who is in romantic love, will have no complaints with the world. Even if the traffic does not move for hours, the romantic lover excuses everyone. That is romance.

Romance changes the way we look at the world. We see only good and every bad thing becomes either good or tolerable for us. Romance makes us magnanimous in thoughts. Romantic feelings make us sit alone and live in our own dreams. We need no one except ourselves to enjoy the thoughts of our romance. We want to be left alone and feel total peace and joy. During romance, every lip smiles, and every eye shines with the light of love.

Romance brings a new God in our life. Our beloved. Some romantics are ready to kiss the place where his/her sweetheart stepped. Romance is to be experienced and not talked about. Romance brings more hormonal changes in body than any medicine and has a definite effect on the heartbeats. They increase at the thought of the beloved. That is romance and to be in romance is to experience the joy of heaven.

There are many emotions and most of us experience all of them except romance. Emotions such as anger, nervousness, sadness and others like these are experienced by all of us. But few experience romance. There is a popular story in India of two romantic lovers. Laila and Majnu. Laila was the princess and Majnu was the son of a washerman. Once, it so happened that Majnu's father asked him to deliver clothes to the palace. There Majnu happened to see Laila and he fell madly in love with her. Since that day, he forgot everything including food, and was only asking for Laila. Some days passed, and this news that Majnu had gone mad in love with Laila reached the king. The king asked his Prime Minister about what could be done to help Majnu in this distress. The Prime Minister suggested that if Majnu wanted to buy anything from any shop, he could buy it for free. The palace would pay to the shopkeeper.

This news brought in many new Majnus. They bought things and behaved like the original. The palace started getting bills in plenty. The king was more worried now and again consulted his Prime Minister. The suggestion was simple - declare that Majnu will be killed after seven days by the palace. This announcement made all the actors run away for their life. Only the original Majnu was left out. He had no care for his life.

This made king think again and he got Majnu married with Laila. Majnu got Laila because he wanted nothing except her. His own life was worthless for him. What mattered was only Laila. This is romance.

By C.D.Mohatta