“Humans don’t deserve to be loved anymore,” said the young man standing in one dark corner as he walked ahead. “Your years of experience are delightful, and I do respect that as well. But I don’t want to take this responsibility.”
The tension in the room thickened almost tangible, he shifted his weight from one leg to another and looked up at the elderly man in his late thousands or maybe more, maybe he lost the count after several hundred. Still, it was challenging to trace the years of experience he was looking at.
He straightened his shoulders and stood tall in a stern stance, “I have seen humans, I’ve seen the insensitive world there is, and I believe something as pure as love shouldn’t exist there.”
The dark wooden floor creaked as the elderly man stood up, with a deep breath filling his chest as if he would crash down any moment. There was a deep exhale as he sighed, then looked up at the young man once again. Even though his skin looked like cracked leather and the once muscular build was now saggy and shapeless, the glint in his eyes was still as bright as the northern star. There was no doubt that just like the northern star, his wisdom too was enough to guide anyone in the dark.
“Amor, my child,” he looked with kindness and apathy. The years of tiredness were visible under his eyes, “there’s still hope,” he continued. “It may look that humans have lost humanity, and the world is nothing but a degrading land. Land of diplomacy, foul and dishonourable, but still there’s light and what you’ll be doing is purest of all, it’s love.”
Stepping back, Amor looked away. For him, there was no point. No point in working for something that was already lost. What would he do? Look around in the rubble? He scoffed.
The beautiful Venus was his ancestor, coming from the lineage of Gods, and he has expected to work for the endearment of humans? The thought repulsed him. Clutching his fist, he breathed heavily when the old man chuckled, “Being a cupid isn’t humiliating,” he said as if reading Amor’s thoughts. “I’ve served as God Of Love for ages now, and now it’s time for you to take care, ” he said in a mellifluous voice, waving a hand over Amor’s hair, he implored, “Let this be your pride, Amor.”
In one corner was a rusty coloured couch beside which was a series of bookshelves. As a child, Amor always admired the collection. It was astonishing, the sight of all those diaries, old and new. He was never allowed to touch it. No one was. But even from afar, he could see the yellowed edges, some wrinkled edges as if marking an important event. Some diaries were thicker than others, with a weak spine, as if holding life on a single thread. The rows of shelves ran along with the whole room. Hundred, maybe thousands of books and diaries adorned the room.
“You know,” the wavery voice pulled him out of his thoughts, “you may think that the old man has lost his mind, or the years are affecting his mind,” he chuckled once again, this time not looking at Amor but something undefined, staring the infinite. “But I’ve lived through many lives, have brought people together and have discovered a new angle of love everytime.”
He put his right hand on Amor’s shoulder and pointed towards the couch. Relying on Amor for support, the old man tried to maintain balance, his wobbly knees and slouched shoulders adding efforts. He slumped against the cushions and took some deep breaths. Amor, making sure he was comfortable, sat on the ground beside him. “I know da, but those were ages ago. I don’t think true love exists anymore.”
“I’ve lived through a lot of stories, Amor. I have spent hours watching tales from far, far away lands. Some were more complicated than others; others were sweet and straightforward. Some a twisted fairy tale, while others filled with blood and rage. But, each one was noteworthy, beautiful in itself,” the old man continued as Amor listened with eyes glued on the brown carpet beneath him. “A protagonist fighting for a better end, or maybe an antagonist with a lot to tell but nothing to speak. A protagonist forgetiing the value of team power, while an antagonist took over the world by himself. So, at the end, who was right? The one who failed to say or the one who hid the truth? Each one thought that they were right, but were they?” He coughed, holding his chest. The pain was evident in his movement.
Amor knew his da was going to leave him forever. He wished he could be by his da's side when destiny would come to claim life. “Sometimes even we feel helpless, and I left that for humans to differentiate. To see for themselves and distinguish between right and wrong, good and evil, bright and dark, and then decide which path to take ahead.” He looked directly into Amor’s steely eyes. He touched his cheek, it’s softness reminding Amor of his childhood.
“Because my child, always remember, when it’s a struggle between right and wrong, that’s when the real hero fights the hardest.
“I may not have seen everything. I may not know about all the world’s secrets, but what I am sure of is change. The inevitable, the unpredictable. The one that holds the power to change everything. I can not say how it comes or why it was meant for but I try to live around humans when that happens. Sometimes it is overwhelming to see them going through the series. Sometimes I just move ahead and never look back.”
That was when Amor looked up, “So even the god of love couldn’t do everything, right?”
“No, Amor. You have to choose when to stick around and when to move, because it was destiny’s plan, and you nor I could change that.” The old man smiled.
“Then I don’t see any point, da. Once there used to be kindness, loyalty, care, goodwill and without those there’s no point of love,” Amor spoke as adamant as before.
The old man sighed. It felt hard to make Amor see-through and believe, but he too was determined. It wasn’t late before he understood that maybe his last job is to make Amor fall in love with love.
“I will not force you for a responsibility you aren’t ready for, but you could spend time with your old man, right? I lived a long life, let’s recall what I learnt.”
Amor shook his head and smiled, he knew da wasn’t going to drop the topic so easily but even though he wanted to protest and leave the room, he was worried that da may not survive another night. He looked again at him and nodded,
And then the old man narrated, “One of my favorite instances is from a faraway land. It’s tale particularly fresh in my mind...”
Author's note
Heyo readers!
We hope you loved the starting, and will start along the journey of finding love with Amor.
What do you think, will Amor ever be ready to take responsibilities of cupid? Or will Da die sooner?
Stay tuned!
VOTE. COMMENT. SHARE.
seeya in the next chapter
-ZAJ❤️
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Love Doth Run Smooth
Romance"It was crazy, it was stupid, It was love as narrated by Cupid." When the world is falling to shambles, and love seems like a myth, a wise Cupid tells the story of true affection, adoration and admiration. When everything seems mundane, when love f...
