What would I not give to get back the old days?

Yes, the days when I was still a teen. The days when love was an innocent emotion, devoid
of lust. A girl was an object to worship and admire, not something to lust for. When all a girl
had to do was throw a glance at you (a smile would be a bonus) and your heart would pound madly with excitement.

I was 15 years old when we moved from Assam to Kerala. All my life till then was spent in
Gujarat & Assam. And Kerala was just a place where we went on a 1-month vacation every
year. A place that was raining forever, with a nice home in half-an-acre of land, with doting grandparents, a place that had mangoes, jackfruits, cashewnuts and all varieties of bananas.

A place where fishing was fun and easy - the fields behind our home would invariably get
flooded every year from the nearby river.

But, when the same place becomes home, it takes on an entirely different meaning. It was
no longer a place to vacation, but a place where I would be living, studying and growing up.
I discovered lots of things during my 2-year stay there and also took on a couple of bad
habits which are still with me.

But then I also learnt a lot during the 2 years there - the culture, the people and especially
the fact that the girls there are the best in the whole world. Yes, after having been in almost
all parts of India, some of Europe and a few states in the US, I can take the liberty of saying
that they are the best.

At that time, love was an emotion that was still unclear. You see it in the movies, but do not know what it is about. Every time you see a girl, you fall in love anew. You would go to the
inter-church cultural competitions and are watching the programmes. Suddenly, your eyes move from the stage and lock on the eyes of a pretty lass. That brief look from her is enough
to make you feel like Mr.Universe.

You do not know who she is, what her name is, where she is from. But those are trivial to
you - you are already in love. You act like you are watching the stage, whereas your eyes
keep darting to her every now and then. She also obliges you occasionally, making your day.
The eye-games last till the programme is over & you reluctantly leave the place - ofcourse
only after she has left. In all probability, to never see the girl again, but hoping against hope
that you will.

Do we see this excitement today when love is confused with lust and all that we think of is
to satisfy the body ? Where are those emotions that made you fly ? Is it that as we grow,
we keep losing the innocent pleasures and hanker after short-term pleasures ?