ON BODY ODOR, LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT AND SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST...

Came across a rather interesting article in the paper a couple of days back that said something like: men and women are attracted to each other depending on the smell of their sweat; or rather body odor. I am sure many of you will react to this by saying: duh, doesn’t everybody know that by now? But what really caught my attention was that scientists believe it is the genes located in the HLA Complex – Human Leucocyte Antigen Complex – that play the key role of finding our ‘true love’ for us... (For all the non-Biology students: the HLA Complex is concerned with the immune system of man; and that is all I am going to say here… it would take me eons to explain how and why! Google it... :) )

Chemistry of attraction, eh?

This kinda explains why there might be instant attraction towards a girl who is not necessarily breath-takingly beautiful, or a guy who is not Brad Pitt. (Although let me please mention here – and I do NOT care what you think – I DON’T like Brad Pitt. I think he looks nice, and acts decent. But I will not drool if ever I find myself standing in front of him.)

This also somehow explains the age old concept of ‘love at first sight’ (only it should be love at first ‘smell’!)...

But pray, how does this explain falling in love with someone you haven’t ever met in person?

Like maybe someone you met on a social networking website maybe?

Or someone you saw at a party???

Crazy man... really...

After the first read, I casually joked about the article with my Dad (yeah yeah, he is a very cool person I have no problem discussing sex with... :) ) and then totally forgot all about it... until today when I saw a Marathi Film not really related to the issue, but which had physical relations playing a major role in the story. (I won’t mention the name of the movie; but if you know me personally, and if your curiosity gets the better of you, contact me!)

‘Shevati donach goshti/bhavana kharya... pot ani chambdi.’

(In the end, only 2 things matter... hunger and sex.)

Is it really so?

If one really thinks very objectively about this whole ‘falling in love’ business, then it is all only about finding the right match, or the ‘most-fit mate’ for yourself, so that you can be sure your species isn’t gonna go extinct, and that your off-springs shall be fit and healthy and shall survive; and even science can be said to have proved it (according to the article I just mentioned about... you know, HLA - immune system - body odor - falling in love – love at first sight etc etc...) Does this reduce all the feelings, emotions, love, attachment, affection, attraction, and scores of other things we feel for our partners to just the skin? And just sex? And if ‘yes’ then who are better-off? The ‘good guys’? Or the ‘flirts’, the ‘chaplus’ guys, the ‘romeos’, the ‘Casanovas’, as they are variously called, who have only one thing on their mind?

Probably all this emotion-play came into being to keep us engaged! They say guys like the chase... girls like the suave ones... unpredictability... mysteriousness... this, that... falana-dimka... imagine if all this was gone, and finding ‘the right one’ was reduced down to one sniff... we’d be really bored! With all the ‘worldly comforts’, inventions or whatever, taking care of all the things we have to do, we’d be left with a horrible amount of free time and nothing to do!

I guess that’s why, we need ‘sex with ALL strings attached’... rather than with no string attached!

OF STOLEN KISSES...

My legs are aching out of wearing high-heeled footwear for so long. Not that I particularly like high-heels, but I had to match him. The heels reduced our height difference from 7 inches to 5. Not much, I know, but still better.

We reach the apartment and park the bike in the parking.

My heart sinks, for I know his mother and sister and brother will be upstairs, and we will have to go back to being ‘polite’ in front of each other... not carefree and bindaas anymore... and not even slightly romantic. Not that we are going around... but I guess we are at least heading towards it.

The thought of climbing up the stairs makes my legs ache even more, although his flat is only on the first floor. I sigh.

‘Is your tongue still weird?’ he asks.

We have just had coffee in Barista; and mine was sinfully strong and bitter and without sugar – the exact way I like it – but with two scoops of Vanilla ice-cream. My tongue had become a bit numb in the café with all that ice-cream, and we had had ourselves a big laugh with me trying my best to say my name properly.

‘No! Its fine now. It doesn’t stay that way for too long.’

‘Really?’ he asks.

‘Yeah,’ I say.

‘How about we find out?’ he says.

And the next moment he has pulled me into his arms and is kissing me like there is never going to be a tomorrow.

I am zapped.

I lose balance.

He catches me and holds me up against the wall. He is still kissing me, his hands pinning me to himself.

I am breathless.

Suddenly, he lets go of me, looks into my eyes, and smiles... only for a second... his smile one of triumph, challenge, and extremely coy... all at the same time…

And then he starts walking up the stairs again... as if nothing happened.

And I am left begging for more...