Long Live Love!!

Sunday evening: vehicles queued down the Ghat road downhill from Yercaud. Drunken driving is too common on weekends and it reaches its zenith in the evening. Two guys in a bike rode swinging and swaying along the way, making it dangerous for others to overtake them. As we didn't want to take any risk as one wrong move from them could provoke a fatal accident.

Almost till the end of the journey there was a couple (probably in their 60's) in a TVS 50, between the swaying bike and our car. The man tried hard to overtake, but couldn't. Suddenly, there was enough space on the right and he thought he could make it. Alas! The drunkards swayed again, hit the couple and drove off. As we succeeded in stopping the car on time, the couple were saved. 

We got out of the car and rushed to help them get up. A few other people who followed us stopped their vehicles and rushed to the spot. But before anyone could do anything, in a fraction of a second, both of them got up, ran to each other and checked frantically if the other one was fine. And in front of the onlookers, without even realising where they are, they kissed so fervently on each other’s lips, crying and smiling, just happy to be saved.

We were fretting and fuming with anger towards those irresponsible senseless guys. But both of them didn't show any rage nor commented nor criticized the reckless youth. They were just grateful to God that they are alive.

The lady was shaking of fear and crying over the bruises that her husband had. He was consoling her and trying to make her feel okay. Though we offered her a lift till her residence, she was so adamant to go with her husband. We gathered their slippers and other things that were scattered by the wayside, helped them with the twisted vehicle and waited there till they started their journey. Clinging to her love, she sat at the rear, and off they drove to the land of love, to their home sweet home. And we continued with our journey, carrying the image of the most extra ordinary love scene, gifted by that ordinary couple.

What comes to my mind is the beautiful oath that the Bride and the Bridegroom take during the Church wedding...

I, (name), take you, (name), for my lawful wife / husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part.

Long Live Love!!