Last week, on 14-Feb, we celebrated our 12th Valentine's Day in a simple way by visiting the nearby mall with our little friends. Looking backwards, its actually my 17th (???) Valentine's Day. If I go further backwards, I realize that its actually my 35th (???) Valentine's Day.
An interesting activity of me is to watch the couples on the Valentine's day morning. I have come across many interesting stories and situations over the years on the Valentine's day mornings. This year as we walked towards the shopping mall, the first couple I identified appeared more like an uncle & aunty. But who prevents uncles and aunties from celebrating the Valentine's day. As I entered the mall, I couldn't locate many couples. May be because it was early in the morning and it was Saturday which was a holiday for many and the social day would not have started for many. So I could spot only a few.
The couples who celebrate the Valentine's day can be broadly classified into two categories - "the lovers" and "the engaged". By lovers, I refer to those couples who came to know of someone in their known category, fell in love, had the courage to propose and the proposal got accepted, and are strongly believing that one day they will get into wed-lock. "The lovers" couple have certain common traits through which they can be identified. The girl in this group - most of the time - has a mask around her face with only the eyes being visible. "The engaged" are those couple whose partners are identified by their parents and their marriages are arranged by their parents. They got engaged to each other, and are in a period that is in-between their engagement and marriage. The word "engaged" has a special meaning in India, and many mistake this word that they are "engaged" in their phones (which is also partially true). These couples have the full approval of their parents, relatives and the society and unlike "the lovers" they are not scared of anyone and do not worry of anything. They do not have to worry about being "pre-maturely" caught and issues related to that. On the other hand, if "the lovers" are pre-maturely" caught (caught before they themselves disclose about their love to their parents & family), it brings in a lot of associated issues and in the current situation in my country, their life as a lover may come to an end. For the purpose of clarity, in this discussion, let us consider only "the lovers"- the real lovers, since Velantine's day is celebrated on the birth day of St. Valentine, who helped lovers to unite in life. The approved couples do not need any such help.
In the shopping mall, I could see only a few couples. But I saw groups of girls and groups of guys. The group of guys, who had no girl friends were constantly looking at these group of girls, in an attempt to make one. I could understand that Valentine's day is taking a diversion these days wherein, the Guys are trying to get a girl-friend. Contrary to this, I could also locate Guys with two or three girls. They may call themselves friends, but some of their activities do not say so. I remember the statement in a recent movie "Ippaellam friendu friendu sollittu kiss adikarathu than trendu...". Hope I was born after ten years. I never had this culture while I was in college :-(.
Not breaking the universal law, the Guys were spending (or forced to spend) heavily by their girl friends. And the girls appeared to be happy at the receiving end.
I particularly noticed the variety of dresses that girls were wearing. I couldnt spot any girl in saree. Even aunties and paatis were in Chudidhaar. Chudi, Midi, and I dont know the name of other kind of dresses that many were wearing. Guys had no option but to wear the age old shirts & pants.
But in my opinion, India is still not mature enough to this kind of Valentine Day celebration. In US, lovers do not worry about going out with their partners or being caught by someone in their known circle. But here it is not the case. The girls have to wear a mask. And unfortunately if caught in their known circle, their love will come to a pre-mature end (or) they have to face problems that they have not anticipated.
I could see the girls (alone) in "the lovers" group running here and there in the mall when the media's cameras were turned towards them. India will become a super-power (In my opinion) only on that day when the lovers can go out freely without any masks and they can publicly give pose to those media cameras, that are constantly chasing them on the Valentine's Day.
Finally, in school I have written so many essays on "If I became the Prime Minister of India". But if I really became the Prime Minister of India, I will declare February 14 a public holiday. (Belated) Happy Valentine's day wishes to all "the lovers".
- spgr.
An interesting activity of me is to watch the couples on the Valentine's day morning. I have come across many interesting stories and situations over the years on the Valentine's day mornings. This year as we walked towards the shopping mall, the first couple I identified appeared more like an uncle & aunty. But who prevents uncles and aunties from celebrating the Valentine's day. As I entered the mall, I couldn't locate many couples. May be because it was early in the morning and it was Saturday which was a holiday for many and the social day would not have started for many. So I could spot only a few.
The couples who celebrate the Valentine's day can be broadly classified into two categories - "the lovers" and "the engaged". By lovers, I refer to those couples who came to know of someone in their known category, fell in love, had the courage to propose and the proposal got accepted, and are strongly believing that one day they will get into wed-lock. "The lovers" couple have certain common traits through which they can be identified. The girl in this group - most of the time - has a mask around her face with only the eyes being visible. "The engaged" are those couple whose partners are identified by their parents and their marriages are arranged by their parents. They got engaged to each other, and are in a period that is in-between their engagement and marriage. The word "engaged" has a special meaning in India, and many mistake this word that they are "engaged" in their phones (which is also partially true). These couples have the full approval of their parents, relatives and the society and unlike "the lovers" they are not scared of anyone and do not worry of anything. They do not have to worry about being "pre-maturely" caught and issues related to that. On the other hand, if "the lovers" are pre-maturely" caught (caught before they themselves disclose about their love to their parents & family), it brings in a lot of associated issues and in the current situation in my country, their life as a lover may come to an end. For the purpose of clarity, in this discussion, let us consider only "the lovers"- the real lovers, since Velantine's day is celebrated on the birth day of St. Valentine, who helped lovers to unite in life. The approved couples do not need any such help.
In the shopping mall, I could see only a few couples. But I saw groups of girls and groups of guys. The group of guys, who had no girl friends were constantly looking at these group of girls, in an attempt to make one. I could understand that Valentine's day is taking a diversion these days wherein, the Guys are trying to get a girl-friend. Contrary to this, I could also locate Guys with two or three girls. They may call themselves friends, but some of their activities do not say so. I remember the statement in a recent movie "Ippaellam friendu friendu sollittu kiss adikarathu than trendu...". Hope I was born after ten years. I never had this culture while I was in college :-(.
Not breaking the universal law, the Guys were spending (or forced to spend) heavily by their girl friends. And the girls appeared to be happy at the receiving end.
I particularly noticed the variety of dresses that girls were wearing. I couldnt spot any girl in saree. Even aunties and paatis were in Chudidhaar. Chudi, Midi, and I dont know the name of other kind of dresses that many were wearing. Guys had no option but to wear the age old shirts & pants.
But in my opinion, India is still not mature enough to this kind of Valentine Day celebration. In US, lovers do not worry about going out with their partners or being caught by someone in their known circle. But here it is not the case. The girls have to wear a mask. And unfortunately if caught in their known circle, their love will come to a pre-mature end (or) they have to face problems that they have not anticipated.
I could see the girls (alone) in "the lovers" group running here and there in the mall when the media's cameras were turned towards them. India will become a super-power (In my opinion) only on that day when the lovers can go out freely without any masks and they can publicly give pose to those media cameras, that are constantly chasing them on the Valentine's Day.
Finally, in school I have written so many essays on "If I became the Prime Minister of India". But if I really became the Prime Minister of India, I will declare February 14 a public holiday. (Belated) Happy Valentine's day wishes to all "the lovers".
- spgr.
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