Poetic Sensibility

12- Romancing Romance

For the benefit of the reader, the (lengthy) dialogues are italicized and the poetry is in bold. Happy Reading!

        Kiara was surprised to see Keshav again in the following session. As were Samay and Kabir, she noticed, as they entered. Whether it was a good surprise or not, Kiara refused to find out. She was too terrified to question that. Nothing good, she told herself, will come of desiring to be in his company; no matter how good looking he is. And good looking he was indeed. As she took her seat, she realized that Keshav and Sarah were immersed in a heated discussion about romance. Romi was busy ruffling through some papers. When she saw that Kabir had heard the word 'romance', his face transformed into a mask of horror. 

"Oh! Being a romantic poet he was definitely romancing someone!" Sarah exclaimed.

Romi instantly looked up from her papers and said, "Those are 2 very different types of romances."

        This seemed to have piqued everyone's interests, including Kiara's. From the corner of her eye she saw Rishi close his notebook and sit straighter. Keshav, on the other hand, started to smirk. It suited him, she thought. That air of confidence. His already tall frame somehow appeared taller and more powerful. And God, she was intimidated.

"How?" Sarah asked.

Keshav turned to Romi, giving her his most devastating smile, something that Romi seemed immune to, and said, "May I?"

Romi's lips twitched and she nodded. Keshav turned to Sarah and said, "Think of it as Romantic with a capital "R" and romantic with a small "r". The romantic with the small r is what you are talking about... you know the one who... promises the moon and all of that. The one with the capital R refers to the poets of the mid 18th century."

        Kiara knew vaguely about the time Keshav was referring to. It was right before the Industrial Age. There were lots of political discrepancies at the time. She wondered if the poets of the time had anything to do with politics. She couldn't stop herself from asking, "So weren't these poets romancing people in their poems?" Realizing that she had asked the question out loud, she immediately lowered her eyes, mortified at her own behavior. She saw Rishi giving her a small smile.

Keshav, giving her another one of those crooked grins of his, replied, "Aaah. A friend of mine, Meenal, asked me the same question yesterday. It's actually pretty simple. The Romantic Poets believed in the strength, depth and..." he seemed to pause for dramatic effect, "...beauty of language. They honestly believed that Poetry is the growth of one's inner self. What's that quote, Romi? The one you keep mentioning with respect to the Romantics?" he turned to Romi.

By now, everyone was hooked on to the discussion. Romi replied, "'Poetry is the breath and finer spirit of all knowledge." She was smiling away at Keshav as if she were a proud mother. Huh. Maybe she had taught him about the Romantics.

"Yes, that one. That's what the Romantics believed in," Keshav replied.

Rishi asked, "Then why are they confused with the romantics; meaning those who believe in romance as..." he cleared his throat, "...love".

        Kiara had to admit that this question was bothering her too. Did those Romantic poets have anything to do with love? Her curiosity, however, was punctured by terror. This was the second time Rishi had spoken out loud what was on her mind. How was he in her head? And why? And why was she so drawn to him? A sudden chill came over her when she realized she was attuned to everything he was saying. She didn't even need to look at him to know what his facial expressions where when he spoke. She could picture them all too easily.

"Well," Keshav began to answer Rishi's question, "The Romantics honestly believed in breaking from tradition and allowing emotions to flood them completely. Make yourself completely human! Break away from just being what nature made you!" he exclaimed with so much enthusiasm, it was downright infectious. Kiara couldn't hold back a smile. "Which includes striving for all those things that separate us from animals... nobility, honour, chivalry, courage and..." again he did that dramatic pause effect thing, "...love".

"And no one knows love better than you do," Romi chirped, batting her eyelashes at Keshav in obvious sarcasm. "Why, you broke Vagimi's heart just a few hours' ago."

Keshav gave a throaty laugh, "I have too much love for just one woman." Kiara could see Kabir grimacing. Samay and Rishi seemed amused, as did Romi. "I did, however, make it up to her with a poem."

"Lucky her!" Romi replied dryly. "Care to share with the rest of the class?"

        Kiara was stunned. He was actually going to read the poem he had written for the girl. How could he be so incredibly brazen? She really didn't know whether to be amused or mortified. She was certainly grateful that she had not been in that girl's place. How would she have taken it? She then looked at Romi and wondered what it was like to be best friends with a guy who kept toeing the fine line between confidence and over confidence. Her attention then shifted to the poem Keshav began to recite.

"Her feet tread softly,
Like skipping on a cloud;
Hiding, I gazed upon her,
Careful not to be loud.

Eternal joy seeped through
When her face turned towards me;
My life had seemed so complete,
Because now an angel I did see.

Her face, oh so soft!
Softer than freshly fallen snow;
Those tresses skimming her cheeks
Darker than wings of a crow.

The angel bent gracefully,
tilting a stalk of a peony;
And all my wishes were granted,
As she hummed a soft melody.

That flower, as it straightened,
Stopped me in my tracks;
"It's earth! She is human!"
I exclaim, as my voice cracks."

        Kiara was certain the girl would have had mixed feelings about a poem that had first called her an angel and then brought her back to earth. She certainly would. She then wondered the many, many uses of poetry. Ridicule or pity hadn't been among the ones she had thought of. Her mother often told her that she should use poetry as a medium for communication. Kiara had laughed off the suggestion that if she were to talk to everyone in rhymes and verses, they'd think her mad. However, today's session made her realize that if anything, talking in poetic terms only made one seem more enigmatic and appealing. Is that how she appeared when Rishi had seen her notebook? Is that how she wanted to appear to him? Kiara had a long night waiting for her as she mulled upon these mysteries of life.