How I Met The Great Gatsby

One very uneventful day, I was browsing through channels and came across The Great Gatsby movie on one of the channels. I had heard a lot of buzz about the movie, but never actually sat down to  watch it. Before you read rest of the post, please know that there are spoilers. So, if you wish to watch the movie and don’t wish to know the details, you may want to skip reading this post. 

About The Great Gatsby

Anyway, The Great Gatsby is a movie that features a super touching love story between a man named Gatsby and a woman named Daisy. Gatsby, aka Jay,  was a very poor man when he met Daisy. He knew right then and there that if he kissed this girl, he would be forever drawn to her. His ambitions had no place for love; however, he could not deny his attraction towards Daisy. He kissed her and considered himself wed to her. Jay left Daisy with the intention of being rich enough to provide her with the lifestyle that she was accustomed to. He sent a letter to Daisy explaining his side and telling her that he would be back. However, destiny had other plans for this couple. A really affluent man wooed Daisy and married her. 

After five years, Gatsby returned and bought a mansion right across Daisy’s house. He threw extravagant parties with the hope that one day she would show up in his parties. She was unaware of Gatsby being her Jay. He befriended Nick, Daisy’s cousin, and asked him to invite her for a tea party without telling her anything about Gatsby. When she finally arrived, Gatsby’s (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) emotions were all over the place. Their love for each other resumed and Gatsby was the luckiest man. The climax, however, was a tragic one. Daisy chose her husband and Gatsby was shot dead while waiting for her call. 

A Carrie Bradshaw Love

The stories of this sort always move me. The romance, the real romance, that is so missing today is what moves me. There is something really spiritual and outstanding about such love stories, where love knows no boundaries and is untouched by words like convenience, practicality, logical reasoning and other boring terms. Isn’t love beyond it all? Where is the ever-consuming, can’t-live-without-each-other, inconvenient love that Carrie Bradshaw craved for in Sex and the City? 

I am someone who is looking for love. Real love. Ridiculous, inconvenient, consuming, can’t-live-without-each-other love.

– Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City

Where is the Great Gatsby?

I live for the real love stories. Have I found one? Not really. Has any of my friends found one? Not that I know of. The love stories that I hear have no magical element about them. People are seeking companionship but are not willing to go that extra mile to show and treasure their partners. The moment any complication arises that clashes with their own vision of life or ambition or logical reasoning, they decide to walk away. Where is the love that is beyond this world? Don’t they relate love to God? Don’t they say that love is the only answer? Then, where is this Love? Where is The Great Gatsby?

Every character is a figment of an author’s imagination. If someone’s imagination can reach to the real magical love, why can’t their actions show it? Of course, I am not denying the fact that there are many love stories where couples decided that death is better than staying apart. Nevertheless, what about giving up everything just to live with each other? There are demons who are so blind with the worldly chains of castes, religions, and other such parameters that they take it upon themselves to kill lovers to “save” their beliefs. Let me get away from this tragic topic or else this would turn a really angry post. 

My Kind of Song

There is a part of a song that always leaves me day-dreaming. The song is called Smooth by Santana. My sister hates the song, but I absolutely adore all the classic vibes of this song. Here is the segment that takes my breath away.

And if you said this life ain’t good enough
I would give my world to lift you up
I could change my life to better suit your mood

The Practical Love Stories

If people can come up with such powerful words, why aren’t such love stories an every day occurrence? The stories that are more prominent go like this:

• Oh, he left her after having sex. (You can even change the gender.)
• He had a girlfriend, but his mother wasn’t convinced that she could adjust their ways of life. So, he had no choice but to dump her.
• She said she loved him, but she didn’t think he could give her the luxuries of life. So, she married the guy her mom chose. She looks happy, though. 
• He loved her but had to marry a girl of his mother’s choice. He didn’t tell his girlfriend and continued hanging out with her. Both the women are still blissfully unaware.
• She married her boyfriend, but now she is not sure if he is the one.
• Oh, she always demanded me to make time for her. I have other things to take care of, and I cannot be always available for her. 

Checklist of Love

Whatever happened to The Great Gatsby, who, in his head, married Daisy the moment their lips touched. Where the hell are those men who would not touch a woman unless being absolutely sure about their feelings for her? Where are the real men? Well, while we are on the topic, where are the women who decided to wait for their men? When did it all get so jumbled that for love, we sleep around until we find the one who wants only “the logical amount” of time from us or whom we can control or whom everyone in our family can accept or who doesn’t expect “too much” etc. The list is endless, really. 

There is nothing wrong with making a list, but the real magical feeling of the love is lost in this list. We are looking for a checklist and not love. When we find someone who lands true to every point in that checklist, still we end up claiming, after a few years, that the spark has gone missing. Why? How? When? Why didn’t you do anything to retain that spark? The spark doesn’t die. It just wasn’t there to begin with. Hormones, responsibilities, logic, ambitions, practical thinking, adjustments, compromises with our real feelings, ego, and many such factors conned us into believing that this is love, when, in reality, it is a business deal.

The Emotional Wreck – Yes, That’s Me!

I have had my own share of failed relationships. Each broken relationship broke me a little; however, I did not let my belief in fairy tale romance die. I still believe in the magical true love. A love that Carrie Bradshaw was looking for and the love that The Great Gatsby had for Daisy. I still shed tears when I hear about such intense and bewitching tales of love. If someone leaves you because of what you want out of love, don’t worry. A bad relationship ends so that when a real one comes along, you can compare it to the previous one and just know the real deal. Having said that don’t lose faith in the true love just because someone thought you expect too much out of love.

Real Love is the Best

Love cannot be contained in the logical boundaries. If a love is really true, it would not settle. It would flow freely and show you the immense possibilities that the universe holds. Love is the only reality worth treasuring. Let them chase their practical wisdom and “the hottest dude or diva.” At the end of the day, your belief in that almost divine, spiritual, and magical love would make you the hottest person alive. Here is one of the beautiful love letters from history:

I have not spent a day without loving you; I have not spent a day without embracing you; I have not so much as drunk a cup of tea without cursing the pride and ambition which force me to remain apart from the moving spirit of my life. My beloved Josephine stands alone in my heart.

Napoleon to Josephine

We Are Worth Every Minute

Before I end my musings and day-dreaming, I would like to share something with all my girls out there. Ladies, I have had my heart broken very badly once, I was so depressed that I thought of ending my life. That was the stupidest idea I have ever had. Why would I take my precious life for a man who wasn’t even man enough to truly fall in love? Why should I give up my hopes and dreams for a man who claimed to love me, yet failed to give me some time with him?

Now, when I look back at that storm, I am happy I did not compromise. He should have felt lucky that I wanted to spend even a minute with him. I am awesome. We all are incredible beings. Why do we allow a person to think bad things about ourselves? If you love somebody, like truly love somebody, you would not leave them wondering. You just won’t. And, if you do, my friend, that was a mere attraction. 

Wait for the Real Deal

Don’t seek the attention of a loveless soul. You deserve the magical love. Hold on. Pain Ends. Have faith and be the best version of yourself. Love is the only answer. Don’t close the doors of your heart just because someone was foolish enough to not know your worth. Cry as much as you want. Give that person a piece of your mind. Take some time off. Get in touch with your feelings. Trust me, your The Great Gatsby is right around the corner. Waiting to hear your magical love stories. Please share, if you know any such  “Ridiculous, inconvenient, consuming, can’t-live-without-each-other” love story.