FEBRUARY....and LOVE!!
Valentine's Day is around the corner. And red seems to be the colour of the day. Or the week. Or even the month of February. I see (and feel) romance and mushiness everywhere. Walk through Cannaught Place, or Khan Market, or for that matter any market in the city, and you will end up staring at shops decked in red and pink and white. Red, as it is the colour of love. Pink, as it is girly (and V-Day and girls go well together). And white, as white-and-red make a pretty combination. Red heart-shaped balloons, huge bouquets of red roses, crystal key-chains, mugs with self-proclaimed paeans of love, cards that would dwarf a normal human being with their size. Also, red slinky dresses most women cannot even fit into; dangerous-looking, impossibly-high red heels, expensive boxes of chocolates; wines, and all the other aphrodisiacs. Phew!
I literally see red. Isn't this taking things a bit too far? The amount of romance and love witnessed on V-Day could even put Romeo and Juliet to shame. Probably, it could also put a person off the concept of love. The saccharine sweetness and irritating displays of love can choke innocent bystanders (like me!) Couples smooching and necking and almost getting into the act in public places like CCD, Barista, and other cafes and restaurants. Now, I do not belong to the so-called "moral/ Hindutva brigade", or object to public-displays-of-very-private-emotions. But things do tend to go a wee bit overboard at times.
I find women very excited at the prospect of V-Day, especially those in a relationship. Single women generally turn up their noses at such frivolity. I find men walking helplessly around market-places, a confused look on their faces. They have before them a bewildering array of gifts and presents to choose from. The choice is mind-boggling. But that one meaningful present, something that will make their women go "ooh-and-aah", eludes them until the last minute. I see guys (those celebrating their first V-Day as a couple) scratching their heads, checking their wallets, and feeling dazed. The general feeling of giving and receiving pervades everything.
My point here is - why should the prospect of loving your partner be restricted to one day in the year? Agreed, it is Saint Valentine's day, and that is when Cupid is out shooting love arrows, and one can wine and dine and feel cherished. But each day of the year is special and different when people are in love. It is a continuous process, an annual journey made up by adding each day as it dawns. V-Day might be a good occasion to go all out and express one's love. But the crass commercialisation of the day, the Archies-and-Hallmark phenomenon, can also ruin it for some. One does not need a five-feet-tall-red-furry teddy bear (which looks more like a red monster!) to show your love. Or a bouquet of highly-expensive roses or carnations or orchids. Or jewellery. Or liquor and chocolates. A simple appreciative gesture everyday, throughout the year, can work wonders, rather than going over-the-top on one day and then forgetting everything until it arrives next year again. Express more love and admiration for each other on February 14th, maybe do something extra-special. But celebrate love everyday. You do not need a Valentine's Day for that.
I literally see red. Isn't this taking things a bit too far? The amount of romance and love witnessed on V-Day could even put Romeo and Juliet to shame. Probably, it could also put a person off the concept of love. The saccharine sweetness and irritating displays of love can choke innocent bystanders (like me!) Couples smooching and necking and almost getting into the act in public places like CCD, Barista, and other cafes and restaurants. Now, I do not belong to the so-called "moral/ Hindutva brigade", or object to public-displays-of-very-private-emotions. But things do tend to go a wee bit overboard at times.
I find women very excited at the prospect of V-Day, especially those in a relationship. Single women generally turn up their noses at such frivolity. I find men walking helplessly around market-places, a confused look on their faces. They have before them a bewildering array of gifts and presents to choose from. The choice is mind-boggling. But that one meaningful present, something that will make their women go "ooh-and-aah", eludes them until the last minute. I see guys (those celebrating their first V-Day as a couple) scratching their heads, checking their wallets, and feeling dazed. The general feeling of giving and receiving pervades everything.
My point here is - why should the prospect of loving your partner be restricted to one day in the year? Agreed, it is Saint Valentine's day, and that is when Cupid is out shooting love arrows, and one can wine and dine and feel cherished. But each day of the year is special and different when people are in love. It is a continuous process, an annual journey made up by adding each day as it dawns. V-Day might be a good occasion to go all out and express one's love. But the crass commercialisation of the day, the Archies-and-Hallmark phenomenon, can also ruin it for some. One does not need a five-feet-tall-red-furry teddy bear (which looks more like a red monster!) to show your love. Or a bouquet of highly-expensive roses or carnations or orchids. Or jewellery. Or liquor and chocolates. A simple appreciative gesture everyday, throughout the year, can work wonders, rather than going over-the-top on one day and then forgetting everything until it arrives next year again. Express more love and admiration for each other on February 14th, maybe do something extra-special. But celebrate love everyday. You do not need a Valentine's Day for that.
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