Loveria!

You may no longer find the sunset beautiful. Love is a disease, says a study conducted by a team of docs in the US. But predictably, as AT finds, most sensible people just laughed it off

PAARTH JOSHI

THE love bug is here to bite. Doctors at the University of Allopath in the US who conducted a research on the effect of love on humans, have come to the conclusion that ‘love’ is indeed a disease. This ‘disease’, the report says, causes abnormal heart rhythm, sweating, impaired brain function and incoherent speech patterns. No this one’s not a joke! The study and the conclusions are for real — so much so that now in an attempt to ‘cure’ people of this epidemic, a leading pharmaceutical has also ‘invented’ a drug, the sale of which they expect will reach six billion dollars annually!

So is love really a disease? Adman Prahlad Kakar can’t stop laughing. “Most of the time, love is nothing but lust. And lust is definitely a disease of the mind,” he says. In lust, he explains there is a shotcircuit between the heart and the brain where the brain takes over immediately. “The only other form in which love comes into picture is through flirting which is a global pastime,” chuckles Kakar. “A person in love can be like a restless reptile — aggressive and defensive at the same time. He or she may snap at you at the slightest provocation,” says Nilesh Bhatt, a student.

This point of view has many defenders. Gauri Desai, a student, however, believes love is actually the ‘cure for all diseases’. “It gives you a dose of pleasure, it isn’t a disease at all,” says Desai, adding: “the only reason why it could be called a disease is because it catches you unawares and you can’t hide it from anybody!”

Actor Amrita Arora agrees. “Love is a great energiser, it makes your face glow. It gives you the confidence to take up new things and makes you want to look good. It maybe an addiction, but is definitely not a disease.” No wonder then that 20 year old Anuradha Sethi, is a little agitated by the findings. “How can you reduce such a pious feeling to a disease?” she asks. “It is a set of memories both good and bad, it can’t be cured by a silly set of pills,” she says.

Then, how do you cure somebody of love? “Take three Crocins,” suggests Vj Nikhil Chinappa, “It keeps you in your senses.” If that doesn’t help, Kakar’s idea is definitely more effective, “Whack yourself where it hurts the most, the loose connections will be restored and you will be ready to go!”