Where love breathes

Published by

FAISAL MALIK

October 9, 2022 2:42 pm

Monuments have always been meeting places for lovers in the city. Although technology has advanced over the years, most couples still want to meet up when possible, and these are their preferred destinations.

In Lodhi Garden, Patriot came across a couple willing to talk, though they withheld their names. Recalling memories of the lockdowns, they said they were incessantly texting, videocalling on WhatsApp, sometimes up on the terrace so that no one could hear. “It was a great experience but we were desperately waiting for the day when we would meet in person”.

People in the capital have been discovering intimacy in these monuments for decades. In the national capital, where the concrete jungle seems so heartless, there’s space for love in the well-maintained green lawns and foliage.

Love is an intrinsic part of any monument in India – it has always been. Fittingly so, as these monuments were erected in memory of loved ones. And continue to be living spaces.

A young married couple exploring Lodhi Garden found it amusing that the monuments were filled with couples hanging out. In their opinion, Delhi offered quite a few safe havens for lovers, including malls, restaurants, coffee shops and metro trains, but parks and gardens are the best option.

Delhi’s couples mostly make their way to public parks on weekdays: Monday to Friday. On the weekends, families and friends’ groups take away their spaces in quiet corners, under the trees and inside monuments.

Another couple found wandering around Sunder Nursery said they had been in a long distance relationship that survived the wrath of the digital world. They have been dating for two years and are now meeting almost after a year.

They both agreed that after some time, the video calls and online messages became irritating. “We wanted to meet in person but couldn’t do so for over a year. What we missed most was walking around and holding hands”.

Another young couple at Humayun’s Tomb turned out to be employees of a private company in Delhi who came to this historic monument to spend a day out in the gardens.

And why not? For young lovers, the monuments of Delhi will always be a sanctuary, offering pocket-friendly ticket prices, clean, open spaces, the sound of birds chirping and warm sun.