Loving someone is not the same as romancing with someone. To love someone, reciprocation from the beloved, though desirable, is not necessary. However, to be romancing with someone, reciprocation is a sin qua non. A silent lover would typically say Khata to jab ha ke hum haal-e-dil kisi se kahein, kisi ko chaahte rehna koi khata to nahin whereas a romancing duo would say Ik manzil, raahi do, phir pyaar na kaise ho.
Though there are various instances of solo love songs being bright and robust like Pal pal dil ke paas tum rehti ho(male) or Aaj kal paaon zameen par nahin padte mere(female), I feel that the selected 20 songs of romance should only be duets, wherein the sentiment of both the romancing persons gets echoed. So here are my 20 picks, in no particular order:
1. Maang ke saath tumhara maine maang liya sansaar*
* (Naya Daur / Mohd Rafi-Asha Bhonsle / Sahir / OP Nayyar)
2. Dekha ek kwaab to yeh silsile huey, *
Door tak nigaahon mein hain gul khile huey
* (Silsila/ Kishore Kumar-Lata Mangeshkar / Javed Akhtar / Shiv-Hari)
3. Simti hui yeh ghadiyaan, phi se na bikhar jayein*
Is raat mein jee lein hum, is raat mein mar jayein
* (Chambal ki Kasam/ Mohd. Rafi-Lata Mangeshkar / Sahir / Khaiyyaam)
4. Yeh raatein, yeh mausam, nadi ka kinaara, yeh chanchal hawa*
Kaha do dilon ne, ke milkar kabhi hum, na honge juda
* (Dilli ka thug / Kishore Kumar-Asha Bhonsle / Majrooh / Ravi)
5. Dil pukaare, aare aare aare*
Abhi na ja mere saathi, dil pukaare, aare-3
* (Jewel Thief/ Mohd. Rafi-Lata Mangeshkar / Majrooh / S.D. Burman)
6. Abhi naa jao chhodkar, ke dil abhi bhara nahin
(Hum Dono / Mohd. Rafi-Lata Mangeshkar / Sahir / Jaidev)
7. Chura liya hai tumne jo dil ko, nazar nahin churana sanam
Badal ke meri tum zindagani, kahin badal na jaana sanam
* (Yaadon ki baarat / Mohd. Rafi-Asha Bhonsle / Majrooh / R.D. Burman)
8. Dam bhar jo udhar mooh phere, O chanda
Main unse pyaar kar loongi, baatein hazaar kar loongi
(Aawara/ Mukesh-Lata Mangeshkar / Shailendra/ Shankar-Jaikishan)
9. Jaaneman jaaneman, tere do nayan
Chori chori leke gaye dekhon mera mann
Jaaneman, janeman, janeman
(Chhoti si baat / Yesudas-Lata Mangeshkar / Yogesh / Salil Chowdhary)
10. Ik pyaar ka naghma hai, maujon ki rawaani hai
Zindagi aur kuchh bhi nahin, teri meri kahaani hai
(Shor / Mukesh-Lata Mangeshkar / Majrooh / Laxmikant-Pyarelal)
11. Hum aapki aankhon mein, is dil ko basa dein to
* hum moond ke palkon ko, is dil ko saza dein to
* (Pyaasa/ Mohd. Rafi-Geeta Dutt / Sahir / S.D. Burman)
12. Pehla nasha, pehla khumaar, naya pyaar hai, naya intzaar
kar loon main kya apna haal, ae dil-e-beqaraar, mere dil-e-beqaraar
Tu hi bataa*
(Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar / Udit Narayan-Sadhna Sargam / Majrooh / Jatin-Lalit)
13. Ek din aap yoon humko mil jayenge*
phool hi phool raahon mein khil jayenge
maine socha na tha
* (Yes Boss/ Kumar Sanu-Alka Yagnik / Javed Akhtar/ Jatin-Lalit)
14. Gaata rahe mera dil, t*u hi meri manzil, hai
kahin beetein na yeh raatein, kahin beetein na yeh din
* (Guide / Kishore Kumar-Lata Mangeshkar / Shailendra / S.D. Burman)
15. Tum aa gaye ho, noor aa gaya hai, n*ahin to charagon se lau ja rahi thi
Jeene ki tumse wajeh mil gayi hai, badi bewajeh zidagi jaa rahi thi
* (Aandhi / Kishore Kumar-Lata Mangeshkar / Gulzar / R.D. Burman)
16. Yeh maine kasam li, yeh toone kasam li*
Nahin honge juda, hum
* (Tere Mere Sapne / Kishore Kumar-Lata Mangeshkar / Neeraj / S.D. Burman)
17. Tum Paas Aaye, yoon muskaraye *
tumne na jaane kya sapne dikhaye*
ab to mera dil jaage na sota hai
kya karoon haye kuchh kuchh hota hai
(Kuch kuch hota hai / Udit Narayan-Alka Yagnik / Sameer / Jatin-Lalit)
18. Tere mere milan ki yeh raina, naya koi gul khilayegi
Tabhi to chanchal hain tere naina, dekho na, dekho na, tere mere.
* (Abhimaan / Kishore Kumar-Lata Mangeshkar / Majrooh / S.D. Burman)
19. Kya yehi pyaar hai, haan yehi pyaar hai*
Ho, dil tere bin kahin lagta nahin, waqt guzarta nahin
* (Rocky / Kishore Kumar-Lata Mangeshkar / Anand Bakshi / R.D. Burman)
20. Yaad kiya dil ne kahan ho tum, jhoomti bahaar hai kahan ho tum
Pyaar se pukaar lo jahan ho tum, pyaar se pukaar lo jahan ho tum
(Patita / Hemant Kumar-Lata Mangeshkar / Hasrat Jaipuri/ Shankar-Jaikishan)