We all felt the compulsion to fall in love at least once вЂ“ or face the prospect of having experienced nothing вЂњexcitingвЂќ in life. Those who had no one would hope and wait for the next year. ValentineвЂ™s Day would see all our friends discussing clandestine stories, gifts or cards or flowers from a secret admirer, declarations of long hidden love. Every movie, every song, every cartoon and book led me to believe that вЂњlove is all around meвЂќ and вЂњto live without love is not to have lived at all.вЂќ Then too, I would keep thinking about some scene stuck in my mind from a book or a movie, вЂњthe way he looked into her eyes,вЂќ вЂњthe way she swirled in a breath-taking dress as she danced.вЂќ I wanted to be like that вЂ“ to be beautiful and happy and madly in love. It would take me some time to come back into the real world that seemed mundane in comparison. The songs I heard would tell me вЂњlove was waiting for me,вЂќ I would find it or die of a heartbreak in the process. I was addicted to reading novels that told me an exciting, romantic life was the essence of our existence, that spoke of gorgeous women, enticing dashing men before they zoomed away in their private yacht to an exotic island. This is why we are here вЂ“ to find the perfect soul mate and live happily ever after. I watched Snow White and Cinderella that all focused on вЂњfalling in loveвЂќ and вЂњhaving a good life.вЂќДЄnd I too grew up believing this is what life is all about. I grew up reading magical fairytales that always had a handsome prince falling in love with a princess and carrying her off into the sunset to live happily ever after.

I was a typical teenager and believed in everything my friends did. Nomah naeem on AIS Al Huda InternationalвЂ¦ Saad mahmood on Kids land вЂ“ Islamic EdutвЂ¦

Dr farhat hashmi lectures muslim heroes