Love Lost or Found?

“Mazaa toh tab hai ki tum haar ke bhi haste raho, Humesha jeet hi jaana kamaal thori na hai.”

~ Parveen Shakir

In all issues of life, keep an honest and gentle heart. There will be times when we’ll have to cheat life, and times we’ll have to disappoint people. But in that one moment of weakness, if your heart remains honest and kind, you’ll still live the great life that Allah, God, or Bhagwan has given you.

What is love? Is it something to be declared loudly, or quietly carried in your actions and values? Is love defined by patterns of behaviour, repeated words, or borrowed expressions? True love isn’t mimicry — it’s the art of absorbing someone’s essence, defending them in their absence, and living the goodness they left in you. They may never know the wall you built for them, but the whitewashing — the purity — remains with those who understand. There’s a strange trend these days — people holding signs that say “I love Muhammad” or “I love Jai Shri Ram.” But why must love be worn as a slogan? Prophet Muhammad and Shri Ram didn’t ask for banners; they left us their character and teachings to follow.

God isn’t to be flaunted on Instagram reels or WhatsApp status — God is to be felt, worshipped, and reflected in how we live. Those who chant names the loudest might not offer namaz five times a day or visit temples daily, yet they light diyas as if ritual alone equals love. Shri Ram stood for justice and respect, burning Ravan for wronging Sita. Prophet Muhammad taught that raising a daughter with love leads one to Jannah. These lessons are rarely practiced, though declarations of devotion are seen everywhere.

As a Muslim, I grew up among Hindu families who greeted me with warmth and joy. I studied in a Christian school and college, and not once did I feel excluded. Recently, my professor mentioned the Chapel Service — how three Muslim girls, wearing hijabs, led it beautifully. She even wanted to capture the moment, touched by its inclusivity. She never stopped us because we weren’t Christian, and those present never objected.

My parents raised me to value respect, love, and kindness above religion, gender, or caste. I have always been taught to value people — and thankfully, so have many around me. My professors never saw me as “the other.” In English lectures, we discussed Faiz Ahmad Faiz alongside W. H. Auden and W. B. Yeats. That’s the beauty of literature — it brings worlds together. I remember reading John Donne, the metaphysical poet of the 17th century, who taught me about the paradoxes of love and absence:

“Absence, hear thou my protestation

Against thy strength, Distance, and length;

Do what thou canst for alteration:

For hearts of truest mettle

Absence doth join, and Time doth settle.”

Love doesn’t need physical presence to exist. You can love deeply across distance, silence, and time. Love isn’t limited to romance — it flows through every bond in life. Think of a father who travels miles daily, sacrificing his own comfort for his children. Think of mothers who bear burdens silently, expressing love through persistence rather than words. That too is love — pure, pious, and unspoken.

Love begins with respect. I’m reminded of a dialogue from Alif:

“Main aapka eitraam karta hoon, aur eitraam mohabbat paida karti hai.”

I respect you, and respect gives birth to love.

Loving is respecting their values, beliefs, and boundaries. This generation may trust social media more than books or poets — but relationships built on screens rarely hold respect or depth. Learn to respect a ‘no’ as gracefully as you’d accept a ‘yes.’ Respect people’s choices, beliefs, and faiths — whether it’s Jesus Christ, Shri Ram, or Prophet Muhammad. Love them all, not because of what they represent, but because of what they teach. No one will read your holy book to understand your religion — they will read you. You are the mirror that reflects your faith’s values.

Let them see kindness, compassion, and patience — for none of our prophets or gods ever taught hatred. And as Shah Rukh Khan beautifully said:

“In all issues of life, keep an honest and gentle heart. There will be times when we’ll have to cheat with life, and times when we’ll have to cheat with people around us. But in that one moment of weakness, if you have an honest and gentle heart, you’ll have the great life that Allah, God, and Bhagwan have given you.”