When you know it is Love

When love is skin-deep, you know it is love.
When you find each other even in day-dreams, you know it is love.
When you trace each other in song lyrics, you know it is love.
When you sway along in perfect rhythm, you know it is love.
When you learn their favourite recipes and read their favourite books, you know it is love.
When you fix their hair, you know it is love.
When you kiss their hurt away, you know it is love.

When love cuts deep to the bone, you know it is not love.
When you resist comforting hugs, you know it is not love.
When your hands shiver at the sight of them, you know it is not love.
When you fake smiles at superficial confessions, you know it is not love.
When you doubt their truth, you know it is not love.
When you are too intimidated to be theirs, you know it is not love.
When you go to bed crying because of them, you know it is not love.

When love is on the surface, you know it is hate.
When you scream at midnight, you know it is hate.
When you turn a blind eye to them in corridors, you know it is hate.
When you scribble away their name in your diary, you know it is hate.
When you are frantically deleting their pictures, you know it is hate.
When you are tearing yourself apart for them, you know it is hate.
When you are blaming your naivety at the end of it all, you know it is hate.

When hate is nearing the conscience, you know it is not hate.
When you are spelling out their prettiest promises in poems, you know it is not hate.
When a smile creeps on your face when you hear their name, you know it is not hate.
When you pass by the same places where you made the best out of your time together, you know it is not hate.
When you blush when their face shows up on your phone, you know it is not hate.
When you replay the happiest moments in your head over and over again, you know it is not hate.
When you almost hit send on the ‘I miss you’ text, you know it is not hate.

When hate is just an excuse, you know it is love.
When the hate finds the two of you even in day-dreams, you know it is love.
When the hate traces the two of you in song lyrics, you know it is love.
When the hate sways the two of you along in perfect rhythm, you know it is love.
When the hate reminds you of their favourite recipes and their favourite books, you know it is love
When the hate reminds you to fix their hair, you know it is love
When the hate reminds you to kiss their hate away, you know it is love.
It is love.

~ Riddhi Chakraborty

Notes: Happy Valentine’s Day 💕