October- A story about Love

How to define love? There is no specific answer to this question. A thousand of people have
defined it numerous ways from the love of Radha to the love of Meera. We all know the
stories of Laila-Majnu, Heer-Ranjha, Romeo-Juliet and Salim-Anarkali, the ultimate symbols
of love. Well, the definition not only changed over prospective, but also over time. Modern
love is much more complex to understand.

Movies and Web series have a huge impact on all of us, especially me. Within these visual
paradises, there are many stories of love. Today, I want to talk one of those love stories or a
story of love. Well, it does not have any typical quality of a love story, rather it is an unusual
tale of care, compassion, and basic human connect, which has much more love than any
other story. I am talking about Shoojit Sarkar’s “October”, written by Juhi Chaturvedi.

The story explores the life of Dan, the protagonist and how it changes after accident of a
colleague, Shuili. The flowers of the tree Shuili have a short life and they only blossom in the
month of October. They generally grow at night and fall from the tree before the morning,
so people notice it when it is detached from the tree. This metaphor was the relationship of
Dan and Shuili. When she was right in front of him, but he did not seem to care or even
notice. But after the accident, he was so affected that he could not even move on. The
fragrance of that flower is delivered through the melancholy of the film.

His interest was initially the result of an inquisitive thought, which gradually changes into an
unknown emotion built on care and humanity. He froze in that time, and while others
around him moved on, his life became as still as Shuili herself. Everybody around him,
including the audience, had only one question to him, why is he so effected? But director
nor writer was not at all interested in answering this question. They rather gave us a story of
unconditional, unexplained, and pure love, a love beyond any transaction, any expectation
in its innate form.

In one of the scenes, Shuili was in the hospital, answering doctor’s questions through her
eyes. She was asked if she knows Kaveri or Kunal, to which she responds, but when she is
asked if she recognises Dan, she does not respond. Later, when he himself asks, she does
respond. He was angry and upset with her, even complains, and yet, himself refuses to
reveal to others that she actually recognises him. This was the beauty of their relationship.
Even though she was lying on a ben, like a corpse, they both are able to develop a life of
their own, which they do not want to reveal to the world. They had a chemistry, a bond, and
moreover a sense of private life, in the adversity. Their singular monologue, their stagnant
life and their deep-rooted love spoke volumes throughout the film.

Through the course of the film, you will understand that the conversation and the action
between those two might have a single driver, but their feelings were mutual. She was able
to show her affection towards him in this own way. When he was forced by the surrounding
to move on, Shuili stopped responding and her health declines. She becomes angry and
violent and stops participating in the treatment. He comes back to her and apologises by
saying he will not go now. She again comes back to normal, and her treatment accelerates
again. Even though mute and still, she was able to deliver emotions.

The character and story remained with me for days after I had watched the movie. I was
wondering how one can love another with so much selflessness. I was wondering if human
is even capable of showing an emotion, just for its sake. Even after knowing, that she will
never be able to give anything in return, he spent night beside her. Probably he didn’t
expect anything.

At last, I would like to quote a sonnet by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, where the poet yearns
for unconditional love from its partners.

If thou must love me, let it be for nought

Except for love's sake only. Do not say
I love her for her smile ... her look ... her way
Of speaking gently, ... for a trick of thought
That falls in well with mine, and certes brought
A sense of pleasant ease on such a day'—
For these things in themselves, Beloved, may
Be changed, or change for thee, —and love, so wrought,
May be unwrought so. Neither love me for
Thine own dear pity's wiping my cheeks dry, —
A creature might forget to weep, who bore
Thy comfort long and lose thy love thereby!
But love me for love's sake, that evermore
Thou may'st love on, through love's eternity.

-Credits: Sonnets from the Portuguese by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, 1850