Stages of Love.. !!..

Stage I: Doubting

The first stage is that of uncertainty. You spend most of the time wondering if the other person feels the same way as you do. You run all kinds of tests on your target to evaluate the response factor of love.

And perhaps you do get some feedback. If you don't, you falsely assume it. You at least let your friends believe that you got response from other party. And then you like to stay mesmerized in that hopefulness. You live in hope. Like the rest of the humanity. Only to discover later when the other party realizes that you're coming too close and slaps reality right into your face.

Most love stories end here.

Stage II: Loving

This is the middle stage on journey of love. You spend most of the time exploring other party's ideas, hobbies, body parts, what not. Because you got lucky, and your doubt has been transformed into truth, and there's mutual agreement between two parties. There could be some factor of compromise involved as well.

This stage lasts for a very short period of time, again the magnitude of time is a complex function of culture. But no matter how short this stage may be, this indeed is what people like to call "being in love". That is when their hormones are in resonance.

Blessed are those love stories that make the most out of it.

Stage III: Knowing

It is the last and rarest phase. Not a lot of people make it, unless forced to via arranged marriages. After phase II, it's hard for the mates of any species to stick together. There is hardly any motivation. There is nothing new or fresh in the relationship.

This is the true test of the so-called "love". It's when you really get to "know" a person. You know that you prolly aren't that crazy about that person the way you were when you're in stage II. Things are kindof dormant.

But there's something else in this stage, something much stronger. After making it so far, after all those years down the road, after all this history with the other party, you know that your heart aches to be away from that person. You just can't live without that person. It's like a disease which has no cure. You have now developed a addictive liking towards a person. There is this passive realization.

There is this knowing.

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So, which stage are you at?