Anything but love

With just few days to go for Valentine's Day, we all know what it is and why it's celebrated. Right?

Some of us declare our love for our love-at-first-sight and some couples celebrate the day with everything they've got – going out together, not buying but, instead, making hand-made, red-pink cards with cute pictures of their loved ones, eating and gifting chocolates, roses, teddy bears and what not. But, where's the love? Why does it seem that in all the hype around this day and what it brings with it, we forgot the true meaning of this day?

Take a good look around on Valentine's Day and you will find couples roaming around, looking their best, holding hands and let's not forget the innumerable selfies that pop up on social media after a #lovely valentine's day with bae. All of that is fine to show people how much a couple are in love but when was the last time you stopped and took a good look at your valentine and without bothering about selfies? We are so busy capturing the moment that we actually forget to live the moment and be with that person.

The story behind Valentine's Day is a classic romantic – St Valentine was put behind the bars and sentenced to death as he broke the rule of marrying soldiers to women, for the Emperor believed that married men were bad soldiers. During his stay in the prison, Valentine fell in love with the jailer's daughter and when he was taken away to be executed on February 14, he sent his beloved a love letter signed,

"From your Valentine." Thereafter, Valentine's Day was marked as the day of love and togetherness with the initial celebrations starting in Rome.

We all aspire to have a love story just like our favourite romantic characters but did you ever notice them celebrating love with various types of gifts on that specific day? These fictional men and women celebrate every day like it is Valentine's Day. It takes real effort, patience and love to keep your relationship alive and not just buying and gifting things on a specific day. Yes, doing a little extra on February 14 and making them feel extra special is worth the effort.

In the social media era, the millennial are extra hyped about the 7 days of love. There are some people who actually celebrate all 7 days, namely – rose day, propose day, chocolate day, teddy day, promise day, hug day, kiss day and alas! The Valentine's Day. People are so engrossed in buying that perfect rose or teddy for their lovers that sometimes, it seems more like a formality than an act out of love.

It has become a tradition to buy that huge bouquet of roses and Ferrero rocher, chocolates, gigantic pink teddies and lots of balloons – all that for what? A one day or two-day celebration of love.

According to Sandeep, a final year BTech student, Valentine week means a week of spending money on useless stuff to impress his girlfriend. The real meaning of Valentine is clouded by materialism. The present generation is more inclined towards impressing the other, rather than, spending the day with that special person.

People have started measuring the amount of care and love that they have for the other person by the amount and type of gifts they get from their loved ones.

It's not that people who don't care about this special day do not exist but the other side has far more numbers. Loving someone is a feeling of mutual respect and understanding which can't be expressed through materialistic stuff. All those red roses and chocolates look good but it's a hoax in the name of love.

More than the love-birds, the shopkeepers and businessmen are excited about Valentine's week! This is the time when guys spend to impress. These 7 days are the most profitable days for all the florists, bakeries, confectioneries, toy shops, gift shops, jewellers, clothing brands; in short, everything a woman desires. Men are not far behind, their special person buys those costly watches, clothes and perfumes to make their man feel loved. It's that time of the year when no matter how costly a thing is, people would still go and buy it.

A rose which is sold at the price of Rs 10 on normal days, suddenly, becomes invaluable and is sold at Rs 30 at some places and what's surprising is that people buy it, in dozens!

Akash, a student says, "It's a good thing that I am not seeing someone. I am saving all this money. There are no worries about what I have to gift and what I should do to impress a person. Yes, sometimes looking at all the couples, I wish I could do the same but when I think about it, there is a feeling of relief that I don't have to fret about Valentine's Day that much".

The commercialisation of Valentine's Day is not new. A florist from Karol Bagh states he doesn't know much about the importance of Valentine's Day, all he knows is that people are willing to pay 10 times the normal price to buy flowers. Is it really worth spending all the hard earned money over something that's going to die in a few days? Love is not in the number of roses you gift or the amount of money you spend it is about spending time together and knowing each other. Instead, you can use that money to go out together.

One should always measure the amount of care and love the other person has by the amount of effort they are making to be with you. Love is a feeling, not a thing you can buy with money. So go on this Valentine's, forget about the gifts and try to make your date special by spending more and more time together. You don't need a special day to show your love, you can do that every day. Those small gestures of love make a huge difference and not the huge teddies.