Siri, play Speak Softly Love by Andy Williams…
Everything changes as soon as the calendar turns to February. The air smells different, there are more roses — pink, yellow, red, and white — at the flower shops, the playlist starts playing romantic songs, and the heart begins to wait for that one special day—February 14, Valentine’s Day.
As Cupid keeps working his magic on this special day, My Kolkata asked a few fellow Kolkatans about their love-at-first-sight experiences, and here’s what we found out…
‘Mr Darcy — if not him, then who else to make you fall in love at first sight and regret it later?’
Clark Gable as Rhett Butler and Vivien Leigh as Scarlet O' Hara in 'Gone with the Wind' Getty Images
When I was young(er), I was categorical about how illogical and immature love at first sight was, twisting my lips at every such couple in school. As a mature woman in my mid-forties, I am now quite sure there is nothing more fascinating and thrilling than such a love story! This Valentine’s week, I take the opportunity to appropriately recall two utterly inappropriate love-at-first-sight cases, both involving difficult, unscrupulous, somewhat conceited men.
The ‘illustrious’ persons in question are the infamous Rhett Butler (from Gone with the Wind) and the equally outrageous Richard Grenville (from The King’s General). How could I not fall for their scorn, their arrogance, their wit? How could I resist their charm, their indifference to all existing mores, their capacity to scandalise and shock? Reinforcing most gender stereotypes, they have been macho, dashing, irreverent towards the ‘unmanly’, dismissive of small talk as ‘feminine’, physically strong, iron-willed, and ultimately committed to some greater historical cause or force far beyond the ephemeral attractions of romantic relationships with women whom they have passionately desired and then abandoned.
I could, any day, lose my sanity over Richard’s “It’s your person I have designs on, damn your portion” when his beloved Honor Harris is likely to be disowned by her family for this relationship, or Rhett’s “And you, miss, are no lady!” to the incorrigible Scarlett O’Hara, or worse, his “Don’t you think you have had enough kisses for one morning?”
And just in case you think that two men for love at first sight aren’t a good enough number and could be joined by a third who probably needs no introduction, I will leave you to name the inevitable — Mr Darcy. If not Darcy, then who else for falling in love at first sight and then cursing yourself?!
— Prothoma Rai Chaudhuri, 45, professor and author
‘The first time I saw a picture of a 1967 Mustang, it spoke to me’
A 1967 Mustang
I’ve never believed in love at first sight. It never made sense to me, even as a kid. Yet the first time I saw a picture of a 1967 Mustang, it spoke to me. Where did I see it? It was probably the movie Gone in 60 Seconds but I cannot be sure — it’s been a while. What I do remember is that that Mustang called out to me like a siren — the seduction was complete in that moment. I am not a car aficionado by any means or someone who feels the compulsive need to get the car out of the garage and on the highway every weekend. But I suppose love doesn’t bother with such trivial details when it means business, and that ’67 Mustang meant business. I still go back to being an awestruck teen (and a little short of breath) every time I see one in a photo.
It’s a dangerous thing, this love at first sight business.
— Sohham Choudhuri, 33, IT professional
‘First glimpse of the Taj Mahal — a sight that stole my heart’
The family portrait Sutapa Singha's mom, discovered by Sutapa (right) at her grandpa’s place; Sutapa posing in front of the Taj Mahal
As kids, we grow up learning about the seven wonders of the world. The Taj Mahal, being in India, naturally inspired a sense of pride. We read about it in history books, saw it in calendars, and admired photos of the world's biggest names posing in front of it. What really piqued my interest was the black-and-white picture I discovered at my grandpa’s place — a perfect family portrait of my mum as a child, with her five siblings and parents — all dressed to the T — with the Taj in the background. However, nothing could prepare me for the way I felt the first time I saw the mausoleum in person. It was on a spontaneous day trip with friends while studying in Delhi. The surreal light, the white grandeur, the colossal majesty... made me feel tiny yet incredibly significant in the presence of ethereal beauty. Love at first sight, most definitely. I could feel the words Tagore penned in my soul: ‘Ek bindu noyoner jol, kaler kopolotole shubhro samujjwal, e Taj Mahal’.
I have been to the Taj many times since then, but nothing compares to the awe that struck me on that first sight.
— Sutapa Singha, 37, communications professional
‘In that one moment, time slowed, my heart raced and the world faded away’
Prarthana Das
For me, love at first sight happened in a moment — in school — unexpected yet unforgettable. It felt like a sudden rush of warmth, a second where time seemed to slow down just enough for my heart to race. It was an unexplainable pull that sent shivers down my spine and made everything else blur into the background. I had butterflies in my stomach, my mind wandered and for the first time, I understood what it meant to be completely captivated by someone without a single word exchanged. It was both thrilling and terrifying — a beautiful, fleeting feeling that left an indelible mark.
— Prarthana Das, 25, MBA final-year student, Amity University
‘A sea of flowers, the magic of Hooghly and more — Mullick Ghat was love at first sight’
Flower market at Mullick Ghat
Despite living in Kolkata all my life, I had never even known about the existence of Mullick Ghat, home to Asia’s largest flower market.
It was during an early morning cycling trip with my friends in 2022, someone randomly suggested venturing there. What we chanced upon looked straight out of a film — gigantic heaps of marigolds glowing perfectly in the sunlight, the serene Hooghly river and a traditional akhara! I had never seen such a riot of colours, with the most exotic flowers being sold at incredibly affordable prices. The wedding season added more variety and chaos to the mix, while the spectacular views of the Howrah Bridge turned it into a hub for beautifully dressed couples posing for Bollywood-esque pre-wedding shoots. It was truly love at first sight!
— Soumil Sanghvi, 26, software engineer
‘Kanchenjunga — a love affair for a lifetime’
Amrita Roy
As a travel enthusiast and an owner of a travel company, love at first sight for me was when I first saw the Kanchenjunga in 2017. I visited Tiger Hills, Darjeeling from where the view of the Kanchenjunga was majestic. Until then, I had only heard about it and seen it in photos. Witnessing it in reality made me fall in love with north Bengal. So much so that I decided to settle here and set up my own company. Now I share that same experience with others.
— Amrita Roy, 40, owner of a travel company in north Bengal
‘Love can be for a place, a photo or a painting you saw’
Ronita Das
Love at first sight — scary, isn’t it? Looking at something and feeling that emotion creeping up, thinking, “Damn, this is love.” Many people (including me) don’t understand love, but it need not be defined. Love can be very simple. It can be for a place, a photo, or a painting you saw. Love isn’t just of one kind. Love at first sight? I think we humans have one thing in common — love for our parents at first sight. After we are born, we see one thing — our parents. They don’t need to be blood-related. We can’t process much, but we know we have someone taking care of us. We trust them with everything we have, which is literally all we can do. What more can we define as love? I think that’s the basic definition of love at first sight — and the first instinct, to be honest. Apart from that, let’s see — I fell in love with Gulmarg. I visited Gulmarg on December 25, 2012. It was covered in snow and had Christmas trees, so I experienced a snowy Christmas. I made a snowman, had snowball fights — and basically lived. So yes, this is a small insight into my love-at-first-sight story.
— Ronita Das, 23, analyst at EY GDS
‘It’s a voice inside you that says, ‘This is it’?’
Upasya Bhowal
Is it butterflies in your stomach the moment you see them? Is it that unexplainable curiosity you feel about them without knowing who they are? Is it the way you look at each other that first time and find your eyes flitting to them since then? Is it the way your hand brushes against each other once and you wait for that to happen again and again? For me, the answer is very simple. Love at first sight is a voice inside you. And that voice says three very simple words.
“This is it.” And you know.
You just know that is where you belong. You just know you will keep coming back to that person, that place, that moment, that memory, over and over again.
And that is exactly what happened when I first met Chaitown Community in December 2021. After a long day at work, when I finally walked in through the doors of the cafe that evening, there was only one thing on my mind: I am not ready for this.
The pandemic had turned me into an introvert and the idea of going up in front of a roomful of strangers to tell them a story made my insides queasy. Needless to say, the packed tables and endless orders shouted to the kitchen did little to ease the knot in my stomach.
Yet, I found myself nervously perched at the edge of a stool, repeating the lines in my head like I was revising before an exam (if I had revised that much before any exam though, I would have been a college topper). About 15 minutes later, when the organisers of the open mic finally came in, I shyly made my way to one of them and asked them when my slot was. Upon being told I was the very first one, I hurriedly requested them to bump me down a few slots (“It is my first-ever open mic, please!”) and having (narrowly) dodged that bullet, returned to my seat.
Despite my nervousness, however, I found that knot inside my stomach slowly loosen with each song we sang and each poet we applauded for. By the time they called out my name, all that remained of my nervousness was a slight tremor in my voice. And before I began, I took a deep breath – swallowed that tremor away.
Said aloud the story I was there to say.
When I look back on that performance now, I see so many flaws, so many ways I could have been better. But when I finished that day, all I received was unguarded, unbridled encouragement. All I received was unconditional support and an invitation to come back again and again. And amidst all that, an all-too-familiar voice,
“This is it.”
And the rest? The rest, of course, is history.
I have known Chaitown for three years now. Over the years, I have watched this community grow and thrive, but even now, it is the open mics that remain my favourite. While I have transitioned from a shaky first-timer to a host now, what continues to bring me the most joy is to watch newcomers take to the mic – their voices shaking, fingers trembling and the relief flooding their face when they are greeted by unrestrained applause and enthusiasm. That unguarded encouragement, which made me fall in love with this community in the very first place, continues to remain at the heart of everything we do.
What’s better is that I get to be on the other side of the table now. I get to offer that support and that encouragement. I get to see people fall in love with this community.
And even now, every single time I see that, I hear that voice inside whisper,
“This is it.”
— Upasya Bhowal, 26, writer and editor
