All you need is a ..... HUG!

*When I was young, I mean in my school and college days, I used to write down my thoughts as articles, with a hope to get them published in newspapers/magazines. But I never took the next step. Recently while shifting from my old house, I found these handwritten articles. I have decided to publish them on this blog, however embarrassing they may be! Below is one of them. Disclaimer: All these articles are unedited and facts unchecked. So stupidity and structural inconsistencies will be inevitable.*

All you need is a ..... HUG!

Once in my class, our lecturer who is a (self-proclaimed) psychoanalyst as well, threw at us a question: What would you do, if you see that your friend is depressed and is crying? Many answered, "I will console him.", "I will crack jokes and try to make her smile.", and so on. But it was only one student who said, "I will probably give him a hug and let him talk about the problem."

Donning the role of a psychoanalyst, my lecturer agreed that it is that hug, that intimacy that will be needed by the needy. Particularly by one who is emotionally depressed or one whose emotional spirit is at the top of the world at that moment.

Having listened to this, I wondered, "Have I ever hugged anyone else other than my parents?"

HUG originates from huggar - to soothe, console; akin hogian - to care for. Did you know that in the US, there's a World Hug Day celebrated on Jan 21st? Seriously, there's no better gesture to emote our feelings, than a lovely hug.

You hug a person in depression, it symbolises the gesture of a friendly care, expressing that, "I am always there with you, for you, through thick and thin. Do not worry." You hug a person dwelling in the seventh heaven, it's a gesture of love, expressing your hearty congratulations and how happy and proud you are, for him or her. You hug a person, a stranger who is desperate and in need, it is a gesture of care, gesturally saying, "Don't feel lonely. Though an unknown, I am there to render my helping hand in my best possible way." It is the 'hug', that symbolises service from heart to heart.

Now now, I suppose a few might find this a mere exaggeration of words, of the 'katipudi vaidhyam' from the movie, Vasool Raja MBBS. Yes, maybe it is! I am a great supporter of that hugging therapy.

But it so happens that many people in this society are under the notion that intimacies such as hugs are restricted to films and as a common-man, hugs shared, that too between a guy and a girl is alas! atrocious, indecent, and a public nuisance! This notion merely brings out their narrow (conservative) thinking to the spotlight. They seem to not realise the more positive side of such a gesture.

Just think, how many times had you wished,

you could hug your close friend and let out your sorrows?
you could have run, jumped and hugged your friend out of excitement of seeing him or her after a long time?
you could have hugged each and every one of those old and desperate people stranded by their sons and daughters, to express how sorry you are for them and wish you could render some moral support to them?

How many times had you wished, but hesitated to hug them and restricted yourself from expressing through that gesture simply because others might find it indecent and overdoing?

I am writing this merely to instigate thoughts in the minds of such confined thinkers.

In the minds of the needy, a HUG will elevate one to a higher pedestal. To me, a hug is a cute handshake between two hearts. Sometimes it is better to bury love and expressions into the clasps of hugs than attempting to express them in words. Afterall, a hug is worth a billion words.

Ude re umang..
Bina dor ke patang...
ek doosre ke sang..
Jud Gaya..
Jiya se Jiya.....

FREE HUGS!

~ From ARR's Connections