A Sweet Love Affair

The raindrops smashed against the window pane. Neither the pleasantness of the first rain nor thunder affected the occupant of the back seater in a cab. She looked at the window with dead eyes as thunderstorms brewed within her all day & night. A recent heartbreak had whirled her world. Though daily routine made life slightly easier & bearable, it got monotonous. As a pile on, an unexpected turn of life events & challenges at work only made her miserable. Each day got a little more difficult & the day never seemed to end. Finally, when the day did end, the next morning's first hurdle was to get out of bed. Life's grind took a toll on her.

She showed no interest in socialising, pursuing hobbies or doing anything at all for that matter. On some days, life seemed tolerable & other days, it was torture. She pushed herself to deal one day at a time. She was smart enough to hide her dismay from the world's eyes. She camouflaged it with loud lip gloss, eye makeup & bright coloured clothes that hid the melancholy. She mastered the art of white lies & finding escape routes. While her family was unaware of her predicaments, her friends knew & were supportive. However, there wasn't much anyone could do. Everyone knew it was her & only her who could drag herself out of the darkness. As weeks turned into months, it started to show in her appearance. The mother noticed the change & confronted the daughter. The daughter shrugged & pinned the blame on work stress.

Though life moved, she stuck on at the same point. A friend decided to take the matter into one's hand & force her out of the house for a day. The intent was to introduce her back to the world. She only had to tune the lens to see the beautiful world again. As the day progressed, her spirits lifted. A day of shopping & relaxing hours at a spa had calmed her erratic mood swings. Unexpectedly, a sweet meeting at a sumptuous lunch worked like magic. She was in a good mood for the next couple of days. Neither the daily boring routine nor work stress affected her. Towards the end of the week, she sulked again. She could not understand why the lousy mood had set in? She assumed to have moved on, only to be proved wrong. She scratched her head & after a few days, it dawned on her. The accidental meet was the reason for her high spirits. She silently thanked God & her friend for it.

The following weekend she covertly planned the meet. She conveniently left out the friend who had forced her to get out of her pyjamas. She lied at home & went ahead with her plans. The charming effect lasted a couple of days & it was evident from her glowing face. She promised herself to keep the sweet business under a tight lid. Her friends reckoned she was up to something, but no one dared to enquire about her. They were happy for her, no matter where or how she drew her happiness.

As weeks turned into months, she got bolder with her sweet meetups. She hid it in plain sight & behaved as though everything was normal. She appeared to be happy & helped with chores at home. She volunteered at social gatherings & events to take charge of food. She ensured that everyone had at least two servings of desserts. She looked forward to such events & organised them wholeheartedly. On the days she could not discreetly meet, she would make up using the phone or indulge in a large bar of chocolate. She would scroll through images switching from one application to another. She felt the same rush & thrill of being in love. She relived & savoured the moments through pictures.

Though her spirits & mood had gotten better, her mother doubted something fishy. When the mother confronted her for the second time, she expressed, "It is work stress. I'm trying to figure out how to beat it, nothing else." The gradual change in her appearance gained momentum. Anyone who asked her about the change received a consistent response. She brushed it under the carpet as stress & diverted the topic. Eventually, she confided to her friends about how the meetup had an effect on her & how she savoured those sweet moments. She elucidated that she looked forward to the next venture & mood swings being better. The friends were aware that this affair was a rebound & harmful. They knew that this relationship would eventually come to an end. Only time could tell what effect it would have on her & how she would beat this obsession?

On an evening, she settled on the sofa to watch a movie on television. She munched on spicy, crispy potato chips & was engrossed in viewing a movie. The mother carefully watched her daughter with narrowed eyes & knotted brows. The mother inquired, "Why are you often late from work?" The girl choked on the chips, sipped some water & glanced at her mother. The mother patiently waited for the answer. The daughter replied, "Somedays I have late meetings & other times I go out with colleagues." The mother continued, "How about today?" The daughter casually responded, "My team chose to grab a bite at a close-by coffee shop." The mother persisted, "So your whole team goes out often?" The daughter suspected of being caught, "Umm. Yeah & sometimes I go alone." The mother asked, "Always to a coffee shop?" The daughter stuttered, "Coffee shop, ice cream parlour or chats depends on my mood."

The mother remarked, "The days you come early, forever you are skimming through phone & checking images. Do you think I do not know what's happening?" The daughter played innocent, "I don't even understand what you are trying to say." The mother declared, "Now, I know why you glow on certain days & the drastic change in your appearance." The daughter fought back, "What is that supposed to mean?" The mother lost her temper & yelled, "What is the actual reason for weight gain?" The daughter justified, "Amma, I have gained weight because of work stress." The mother persisted, "So, there is no other reason?" The daughter's justification was a lost battle, yet she went on. Finally, the mother commanded, "Today is the last day of all your whims & fancies. Starting tomorrow, you are going on a strict diet & the gym daily. Enough of this affair with comfort food of potato chips, ice creams, chocolates, desserts, confectionaries & pastries."

Take Away:

• Beware of stress eating; two minutes on the lips forever on the hips.

• A bar of chocolate releases the same hormones as being in love.