Love is in the Air

It’s that time of the year again, when the whole world is red in colour, and love seems to be in the air… well, literally.

Hey! Wait a minute. When I say, “Love is in the air,” I am not talking about the air being sprinkled with magical ‘love dust’ that is responsible for an overdose of endorphins and dopamine in ecstatic couples in love.

This is certainly not about the impish Cupid or our very own Kamadeva, who goes haywire with flower-decked arrows, totally sabotaging the lives of unsuspecting Homo sapiens either.

Neither am I referring to the clandestine meetings between loving hearts who seem oblivious to the rest of the world, or the lovelorn singles who take advantage of various cellular network signals and smartphones to catch up with their beloved(s) in other parts of the world…

My statement is specifically targeted towards the ‘hearts’ that are strewn all over the place during this season of love.

Come February, and various types of ‘hearts’ hit the market.

Hanging hearts, giant hearts, little hearts, diamond hearts, platinum hearts, golden hearts, velvet hearts, glittering hearts, hearts held by fluffy teddy bears, heart-shaped boxes filled with yummy, melt-in-the-mouth heart-shaped chocolates, hearts printed onto perfume bottles, pen sets, make-up kits, books, greeting cards, handkerchiefs and what not…

All very obviously red in colour.

There is just no escaping these hearts.

They glare at you from the display windows of bookstores, garment shops, stationery shops, shops selling electronic goods, sports shops, lifestyle shops, florists, bakeries, supermarkets and even the local grocery outlet for that matter.

Yesterday, when I went to the small shop across the street where I normally buy my vegetables and provisions, I actually bumped my head into a bunch of red, velvet, heart-shaped cushion-like things that were hanging from hooks fixed to the cobwebbed ceiling!

Love certainly has come a long, dusty way…

Speaking of Valentine’s Day, I can’t help sympathising with the woes of a young male friend of mine who was struggling with the ‘economics’ of maintaining his love life.

As per this Romeo, the birthdays of his mother and brother, as well as his sister’s wedding anniversary, all fell in the second month of the year, with decent gifts required for all three occasions.

The recent trend of ‘gifting’ for Valentine’s Day only added to his financial burden.

After breaking his head over how to tackle the situation, he promptly came up with an idea.

He bought one of those inexpensive heart-shaped paper boxes of the smallest size, one that could literally fit into his pocket. After artistically gift-wrapping the box, he placed it into the waiting hands of his expectant girlfriend, who possibly assumed that the pretty little box would contain something of value… perhaps a diamond ring or a gold pendant.

The only thing that saved his life was the gift of the gab that he was sufficiently endowed with.

Looking deeply into her eyes, he said soulfully:

“This is my empty heart. Please fill it up with your everlasting love.”

Well… this happened during last year’s Valentine’s Day. I hope he has come up with a better lifesaver of an excuse this time, or else he is in serious trouble…

Anyway, the best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart. And sometimes, the best things in life are not things at all… but the people who make you feel loved and cared for.

So, cheers to all those who are in love… with their partners, parents, friends, siblings, children, pets, books, life…

Whatever!

Happy Valentine’s Day!