N.B: This is not a love story.
The world we live in, thanks to Bollywood, often mistakes creepiness for a romantic gesture! Correct me if I’m wrong but showbiz is one of the major reasons why people empathise with the hero, the jilted lover, even if he stalks a woman on-screen. And believe me when I say this, ‘ladki ke na main hi haan hai,‘ is just the tip of the iceberg.
But it has recently dawned on me that this infamous culture of glorifying and romanticising stalking goes beyond Bollywood. In fact, it goes beyond borders, to a place where there is no difference between reel and real life. Let me explain it to you with an example.
A man in Bristol, England, identified as Luke Howard, decided to woo win his ex-girl friend in a manner that will make you cringe. The heartbroken musician vowed to play the piano inside college premises till his ‘Rapunzel’ took him back!
This man is playing piano on College Green. And he won't stop until he gets girlfriend back #dedicationhttps://t.co/QKm0cbBbtD
— Bristol Live (@BristolLive) September 9, 2017
“I know people in my situation will send flowers or text or write letters but that only ever seems to make things worse.
I wanted to do something that she might see, to let her know how much I love her, that she can see it and then take it or leave it.”
According to reports, the pair split up after a four-month relationship and it left him devastated. It was then when the 34-year-old man decided to make a public declaration of his love for the lady who he didn’t name but referred to as ‘Rapunzel’.
But call it fate or LOGIC, his stint backfired and the Internet stopped at nothing to call him out for his creepiness.Â
1. This is the question of the hour.
https://twitter.com/AdeleVBW/status/906666402110754817
2. WORD
Men, women are allowed to leave you. You are not entitled to a girlfriend.
Media, stop romanticising controlling, stalker behaviour. https://t.co/qN3g0fa9DQ— sianushka (@sianushka) September 9, 2017
3. Downright creepy!
@TristanCorkPost isn't this a bit creepy? I'm always wary of people who make big public declarations about private matters.
— Jo Brodie (@JoBrodie) September 9, 2017
3. I smell misogyny!
Sense of entitlement here is awful. She's a sentient being with her own ability to make decisions. He should move on & stop being a brat.
— Wear A Mask (@mandapen) September 9, 2017
4. While some had suggestions for the woman…
https://twitter.com/hamdodger/status/906578162523525121
5. Some said what we all wanted to!
4 months…personally I would probably consider that a long fling. I've had bottles of wine in the cupboard for longer (only just).
— Siobhan Tatum (@BarChat_Siobhan) September 9, 2017
P.S- This is only a representative sample of what the people of the internet felt about the piano guy and his confession of ‘love’.
But do not worry, there is still scope for hope. Why? Because the piano guy has stopped playing. Although, for a reason, none of us saw coming *ssh* (WE DID).Â
Well, after the severe backlash, somebody allegedly ‘punched’ the man in the head. Luke told inews, that it was no PR stunt. He confessed,
We need to talk about Piano Man and his attempt to win back 'lost love' https://t.co/vFr8rC4rTW #Bristol pic.twitter.com/Gs0LcWtKff
— BRISTOL (@DailyBRISTOL) September 10, 2017
“Yesterday, at around 4am, as I sat in the centre of Bristol playing the piano I was punched in the head while, as it would now appear, turning myself into the largest fool in the West Country. So, much to the great relief of many I’m sure, I stopped playing.
But the attack wasn’t the reason why I walked away from the piano. Freedom of speech is one of the most wonderful things that we in this country have. Although I obviously had not expected to be on the receiving end of such a negative response, I still completely respect what people had to say.
However, I simply do not and would not care if the whole world hated me. I would much rather be hated and attacked for being who I am than being praised and loved for who I’m not. And I am just a guy who was trying, albeit naively, to show someone how much he loved them. And I am very sorry that has offended so many people.
My intention was never, ever to coerce, emotionally force or use pity to bring this girl back into my life. She is one of the strongest willed, intelligent, decisive human beings I have ever met so to suggest she would succumb to such a tactic is insulting to her. My intention was only to display musically how deeply I felt because I fear over the last few weeks that may have been lost in translation. Four months, I agree, is not a long time at all, yet in the company of someone so remarkably wonderful every single one of those days was precious.
So call me a stalker, sociopath, creep or whatever you like from behind the safety of a keyboard because frankly it doesn’t matter anymore. There are no words that can hurt more than the feeling of losing someone you really loved. I stopped playing yesterday because I realised that what I had wanted to do had spectacularly failed. The social media reaction turned it very quickly into something that would cause the one person I didn’t want to hurt embarrassment and pain. That was the last thing in the world I had wanted to happen, so I left.
I do not blame or in fact feel anything negative towards anyone who has commented on what I decided to do. On the contrary, the lack of understanding just reminds me of how very rare a thing pure love actually is and even though it has hurt me so deeply, I was very lucky to have felt it at all. So to the girl I didn’t want to name, whose house I didn’t want to sit outside, didn’t want to flood with text or emails I want to sincerely apologise for all of this.”
While I hold no rights to comment on his love–he so desperately tried to win–nothing takes away from the fact that his behaviour was far from ideal.
Because, for God’s sake, a grown-ass man, emotionally blackmailing and publicly humiliating a girlfriend who will not come back to him is NOT romantic. In fact, ladies, if a man does that to you do not hesitate to call the cops on him. PERIOD.