Ask me what I think of the whole theory of “love at first sight” (or nearly) and I’ll probably say bah! Humbug! Its absurd how one can instantly feel strongly for a person to a point that
Your very interaction with them makes or breaks your day? That you go through emotions that you can’t define, that you crave to be with the person, suffer separation pangs even when you hardly ever know very well? That if the person isn’t in your life, something in you simply dies? - I dint write this – books, movies and people have told me :) and I always say, Bah! Humbug! :)

Love between people, according to me, needs to be built over time (make that a very, very long time) for it to be really called love.

What I didn’t know was I had just tickled god’s goofy sense of humor and naturally something was waiting to prove me and my cynical thoughts wrong, like it usually happens in life.

I got ready to start the day (ugh! Monday) like any other. Wake up, clean up, dress up and get up (rather reluctantly) and get going to (double ugh!) office. You got it. I suffered from the Monday blues like most people.

Just as I stepped out of my house, I noticed a van parked opposite to my house. “LION PACKERS AND MOVERS” it read. “New neighbors” I thought to myself “and let’s hope there is an interesting male I can meet” *grin to myself* as I hurried off to office.

After a rather hectic day at work, I get back and I did notice that there was indeed a male in my neighbor’s house. Only he was just about four months old. The tiniest, sweetest, cutest, most adorable four month old baby boy. I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

They stood at the gate every morning, grandpa and grandson. What I can say. It was love at first sight for me. Without realizing it, I showed all the symptoms – the craving to see the kid everyday, waiting for me to give me a toothless smile and if I dint happen to get it, it resulted in me being a lot less cheerful during the day, the two minute encounter where I waved or smiled and got one in return gave me a high on my way to work. Like some people do with caffeine and others who look forward to little daily gestures from people they love, I was unable to kick start the day without my customary wave and smile to the baby.

Days and months went by with not more than a “hi” or “bye” exchanged, never interacted beyond the smile and the wave. Baby boy, whose name I got to know, “Abhinav” made progress from a little soft bundle that needed to be carried to watching him take his first step, to uttering sounds to actually lisping words. It was sheer delight to watch his every developmental milestone though it was all watched from opposite my house.

Life went on and I went about my daily routine, wake up, dress up, get to office and work, work and more work, get back evening, rest a while, have dinner and hit the bed, except to add to the routine was the two minute encounter with Abhinav that happened nearly every day on my way to office.

Work demanded that I go out of town for a week to attend a corporate training program. I went. Details omitted here. All I can say it all seemed very clinical to me. I couldn’t wait to get back to home, to my routine.

Or was it something else I was missing back home?

When the training was over (finally!), I reached my city late in the evening. I prepared to go to work the next day. I woke up, and after the usual morning rituals, set out of home

And stopped short!

I saw a van “LION PACKERS AND MOVERS” standing in front of Abhinav’s house. Abhinav and his family, who I never got to know, were moving out. (Later, through the neighborhood grapevine, I got to know that Abhinav’s father had been transferred to another city).

From the time I spotted the van, I wanted to scream and tell them…well..what could I say? Don’t go? That I needed the two minute interaction with their baby? That he made my day with a smile better than any substance that could ever give you a high? That he remain the same age with the same toothy smile and wave I so looked forward to? That I want to stop time and freeze that moment forever? That I regret not spending enough time to stop, play, and get to know him better?

Who said that one does not suffer from separation pangs unless you know some one really well? All symptoms listed above, I felt it.

I stood staring at the van for a long time, then hurried on, though not with the usual bounce in my walk.

I was getting late for work …….