Crushed.. Lol!! ;)

We meet hundreds of people and may be spend time with few tens of those everyday, at work, at home and on the way in between too. We love the company of a few of them, like a few of them, harbor no feelings for a few, tolerate a few and abhor most others. This is common with everyone I’m sure and I want to highlight those few (one at least) who have an intoxicating high on us with their very presence.

I’m not talking of LOVE. Apna Bollywood has given so many varied definitions (most are cheesy to be honest) that I’m now confused and do not personally believe in any of those. Love is something I restrict to books and films, and we’ll leave it at that. As for infatuation, it is this extra strong liking for a friend or an acquaintance (or may be even a celebrity) for some quality of theirs that make us blind to their flaws. We become conscious of our looks and our words. We probably even become jealous if the object of our interest gives a little extra attention to someone else. Infatuation, if mutual and reciprocated, leads to love, so I’m given to believe. But I want to clarify that I’m talking about “crushes”. Not love, not infatuation; just pure, unadulterated crush!!

From my own experiences, (yes, I’ve had many) crush is something to do with the brain cells acting extra weird when perception indicates to the grey matter, the presence of a certain co-specie member in the vicinity. Sometimes mere mention of that particular person suffices!! It is supposed to begin with the onset of adolescence and gradually fade away into sweet memories as we grow older but given the exposure of today’s teens, I cease from emphasizing the “start time”. Lol!

Anyways.. I read a few articles on adolescent psychology, Linda Goodman’s books and even spoke with good friends over the issue, just to understand the phenomenon from a third person’s perspective. After the “toil”, this is what I came to understand.

Having a crush on someone is a very natural happening. It is an indication that our sensory perceptions are functioning perfectly and that we have an innate aesthetic sense. This is when “beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder” comes into picture. We are involuntarily attracted towards what we subconsciously believe as beautiful. If its good looks for some, it is intellect for some others. One colleague of mine is a sucker for fair complexioned hunks while her close friend swears (not literally!) by Mills and Boon type tall-dark-handsome hunks.

Whatever it is, not many have escaped the light tickling sensation in the pits of the stomach when that crush smiled. Few felt a floating sensation while talking to their crush and many others (like me) have unwittingly stared till our crush was abashed outright. Crush is actually nothing, but that absolutely something. This is how I can best phrase the most commonly experienced and clichéd sentiment known to human kind!!

All is not lost however, unless you are a girl and you have told a few girl pals about your secret crush on a certain cutie you saw in office and more importantly, you have made them promise to keep it a secret!! The girls solemnly promise and loyally check out the pluses and minuses of that particular guy for their friend’s sake (as if we were planning to elope, god!!) but the moment that guy looks in your direction or even notices your presence, the giggling (a very bad timed, involuntary and inevitable reaction) begins and the cutie runs for cover. You will be lucky if he even considers talking to you afterwards.

Guys are no better either. They genuinely believe that it’s a divine job hooking up a fellow mate with his crush that they will leave no stone unturned in the venture. They go to such great extents that they fail to realize that the girl has seen through their puny plots (many times before too) and is royally freaked out. This friend of mine would cough in his best Hum Aapke Hain Koun imitation to convey to his pal that the crush is in the vicinity.

Girls, even in case of a common crush, DO NOT check out the particular guy together. They might discuss the “sweet things” in the guy and agree that they all have a tender for him but never will they umm, “appreciate” the same guy openly and unitedly. Guys, on the other hand, love to do these same things in a group and all hell breaks lose if a gang of guys are openly “appreciating a babe” in front of a girl pal whose presence has been temporarily (and conveniently) forgotten. Guy pals are very helpful in digging information about a girl pal’s crush, if and only if none of those guys have a crush on this girl in particular. One of my friends had a crush on a colleague and this guy pal of ours went to the extent of adding the crush on office communicator just to get more information. Girl pals can put the Interpol to shame in gathering information about another girl pal’s crush but at the risk of mass broadcast and giggling fits. But nevertheless, it’s all the same..

To end it, Crush is a very common scenario to be experienced and then grown out of. If recorded, it will make a hilarious read, years down the line.

Ok enough of crap now, I’m logging off. Peace!