Remember those days of a now-forgotten yesterday when we were engrossed in the love lives of Cinderella, Rapunzel and Snow White. Their fairy tale romances had us entranced and not one day went by when as kids, we read every page of their ‘happily ever after’. And it wasn’t just about romance and love, it was also about power, the classic battle of good over evil and the law of the kingdom.
I’m prone to taking off into Fairytale-land myself, sometimes. They not just leave you with a happy feeling, they also reinforce your hope in the thought that ‘in the end, everything will be alright!’. And it’s not like there are no fairytales in the 21st century. If we look hard enough, I believe there are fairytales in every nook and cranny. The locations are no more lush, green forests or stone-laden castles and the scenarios are no more filled with good-natured dwarves and evil witches. Instead romances are brimming up at the local cafe, the hip suburban nightclub or the most awe-inspiring location — Facebook!
The pace at which our romances function is not as slow as the classic fairytale — but yes, love at first sight still exists! That first look, the fire in the gaze and the instant attraction is as crazy and as potent as the ones exchanged between princesses and princes in the days of yore. Like them, our 21st century lovers explore the cement jungle instead of the forests, go for salsa classes instead of the annual ball and dedicate songs on MTV instead of singing with the birds and animals. The coffee shop becomes the ubiquitous symbol of love, the same way the village fair was hundreds of years ago in Fairytale-Land.
Now Fairytale-Land had some rules that couldn’t be bent, the sort of rules that have drastic consequences if broken. For example, Cinderella had to return home before midnight — before the clock struck 12. Today’s world demands that the girl burns the dance floor all night long. The one-time prince who went from house to house searching for Cinderella is now transformed to the tech-savvy gentleman who simply has to search on the internet for the girl he crossed paths with and strike pay-dirt!
{{/usCountry}}Now Fairytale-Land had some rules that couldn’t be bent, the sort of rules that have drastic consequences if broken. For example, Cinderella had to return home before midnight — before the clock struck 12. Today’s world demands that the girl burns the dance floor all night long. The one-time prince who went from house to house searching for Cinderella is now transformed to the tech-savvy gentleman who simply has to search on the internet for the girl he crossed paths with and strike pay-dirt!
{{/usCountry}}Instead of gifting the princess family jewels and the princess meekly accepting them with a radiant smile on her face, today’s ladies unabashedly demand a Tiffany’s or a Harry Winston! Well, we sure do deserve them, don’t we? The evil witch is a thing of the past, welcome aboard the now legendary Monster-in-Law! So well, here’s wishing everyone a very happy fairytale!
Until next time, love you all!
Read more Genelia D'Souza coulmns