An Addiction called Love

Love is a wonderful feeling. It looks good from the outside and when you experience it, it looks even better from the inside. Now before my readers jump to any conclusion about my status I am not particularly referring to any new developments but just speaking in general. Love and relationships move beyond just between a boy and a girl. It is experienced at all levels of a person’s life and experienced within from parent to child, from one sibling to another and so on.

Love is a multi faceted feeling, it ebbs and flows and completely depends on ones heart to determine its intensity. Sometimes the head plagiarizes the feelings and that’s when you are completely, whole and soul, addicted.

I personally speak of it strongly because love, in general, does make the world go around. It is something which keeps any individual sane and at the same time insane. It keeps an individual going and at the same time stops the clock from ticking. It completely negates any plausible decrepitating vibe to make way for excitement, generosity and clarity in a persons mind and in a way helps an individual to look forward to life. Unbeknownst to anyone, it does have a positive enlightening effect and it could be termed as an uplifting feeling. Sounds familiar to any other intoxicating substance and come to think of it, it does have the qualities of any other addictive substance be it alcohol or drugs (though again, substance abuse is a complete no-no and you can take this as my small attempt to advocate a drug and substance free life).

Love is also borderless and typically has no boundaries. If it does have any boundaries it is completely man made and goes against the course of nature. I have seen love dissolve to nothingness when materialism is mixed in it and that’s when it gets dangerously close to flying out of our hearts. I have taken it upon me personally to be aware of this deadly ingredient (which is seemingly ingrained as a must have trait in many individuals) and hope that it remains subdued and uncharacteristic in my life. If people around you did that too (asking for a bit much here as people mistake self-sufficient to selfishness) the world would definitely be a better place.

I would go to the extent of saying that without love, life is pointless, so even if one is completely oblivious of another’s presence or chooses to stay away from feelings for reasons best known to them, well then it is practically impossible to sustain life for very long. If you are not yet addicted it’s still not too late to embrace it and get addicted. It definitely makes for a better human and the reciprocating effect makes it worth your while on this planet.

Mushy as I have gotten to be with this little post of mine, I did come up with a delicious cocktail which encapsulates the concept of love beautifully. With strawberry scented vodka (strawberries being the fruit of love) wafting a heady perfume, followed by rose water which imparts an intensely floral bouquet (of course, needless to mention, the infamous flower which denotes love, world over), an addition of mushy soaked basil seeds floating carelessly just like ‘love’ makes you feel and touched with the right tinge of rose syrup which again is the color of love. This cocktail makes way for a heady elixir which you should, and must I intrude and say ‘must’ share with your loved one. This would be one drink which completely reeks of ‘love’ and who knows, it might just open up some new avenues to what you might call an experience.

Strawberry Scented Vodka with Rosy Eyes

Ingredients

• 60ml Strawberry Scented Vodka (Resolut®)*
• 10ml Rose Water
• 10ml Sugar Syrup
• ¼ tsp Basil Seeds (Sabja in local language)
• ½ cup water
• 2 tablsp Red Rose Syrup
• Ice
• Rose Petals for garnish

Mix the Red Rose Syrup in ½ cup water and soak the basil seeds in the water for about 15 minutes. They will puff up into fuzzy, slippery seeds (if you want a brighter shade of red add a drop of Rose Food coloring to the water before soaking the seeds).

In a shaker combine vodka, rose water, sugar syrup and ice. Give it a good shake.

Strain into a cocktail glass with shaved ice. Spoon on the soaked basil seeds and serve garnished with a rose petal.

Nonchalant Bonus

Make your own Strawberry Scented Vodka

150ml Vodka (any brand)

6 Strawberries (cleaned and slit in two)

Muslin Cloth

Tie up the strawberries in muslin cloth with a long string and immerse the pouch in the vodka. You may use a slightly wider mouth bottle. Keep the string out a little and let the mixture soak for about a week. You will see a light pink hue permeate the vodka (do not shake). After a week shake lightly and leave for another couple of days. At the end of 10-12 days discard the muslin cloth with the strawberries (now turned into a pulp) and use the strawberry scented vodka in your cocktails.

Isn’t it funny how life and liquid can all be mixed into one heady drink called ‘love’?