Valentine's Day

So, the D day has arrived. While a few of us are out there celebrating (parents, you did not think it was combined studies your kid is out for, did you?), several other youngsters are out on the roads and in the coffee shops. Some out of them are genuinely looking for love, which they think they'll get in one day, while several others are out in search of some one to have a good time with. Let's have a look at a youngster's Valentine's Day in India.
The boys who have a girlfriend spend the previous few days arranging for money so that they can buy a gift for their loved one and can afford a decent date. Pocket money is seldom enough, but no problem. When will friends be of any use? So they borrow from friends, of course those ones who do not have a girlfriend. The next problem is to be able to go out without having mom and dad know about their mission. So what do they do? Your guess is as good as mine. Combined studies at a friend's place is the perfect option. Once they are on the date, there is the lingering fear of being spotted by someone they know. Add to that the notorious gangs who have fun by looking at the girl like they know her or her family, and that makes for a typical date. Now, what about the guys without a girlfriend? Well, they save up money just in case they find someone. They dress up. The stag gang gets out hunting. A few of them are successful, most of them are not. At the end of the day they blow up their money, return home empty handed, and wish they have better luck the next year.
Of late the advent of Valentine's Day has got stronger thanks to it's commercialization. News channels consider it a sin to not have an exclusive show on Valentine's Day, the greeting cards and gift shops stock up and decorate like it's a festival, the pubs, discoes, coffee shops and even book shops get ready to seduce your pocket.
Finally, is Valentine's Day worth the hype? You don't need a special day to tell your loved one that you love him/her. You don't have to blaze your pockets just because everyone else does. You don't need a girlfriend or a boyfriend just because your friend has one or one too many. It's just a regular day with a lot of commercialization thrown in. It's not mandatory to be a part of the rut just because everyone is a part of it.

Affairs

Affairs here, affairs there, affairs and affairs everywhere! This pretty much has been the scenario in the world of the students since the time of our parents, but the valley of affairs has never had it so good before. Right from the Romeo of the colony to the introvert girl in the class, everyone seems to be diving into this beautiful and shallow valley of affairs. The life saving question they don’t ask before diving is, will this affair be really worth it?It all begins in the same manner. Boy sees girl, gets attracted to her, friends encourage the boy to talk to the girl, he chases her, and she gives in (quite a few times) encouraged by her own friends and there begins the great affair. The vice-versa is also true. In a few other cases, boy and girl break up, the girl’s friend consoles the boy, he feels emotionally attached to her, she feels sympathetic for him, and you’ve got another great affair. The vice-versa is true in this case also.They even end in the same manner. Girl’s parents want her to get married, boy can’t marry her as he’s still a student, they break up (the more stupid ones run away together only to be brought back by the cops in most of the cases, and the most stupid ones attempt suicide...what a waste of great life). The End. So, are affairs really worth it?I’ve seen many people, people whom I adore, fall in to an affair, and forced out of it. It’s not only a saddening experience for them, but also for the ones who wish well for them. The boys always have it easier. They are low for a few days, but things do fall back into place later. For the girls though, there is not only the emotional turmoil to go through, but also if the word of the affair gets out, the society evolves into a living hell for her.A relationship can stand tall only on the foundation of commitment. Commitment does not only mean being faithful to one another, it also means being able to transform the affair into a life long relationship, into marriage. If you noticed, throughout the article I have used the word affair and not the word love. The simple reason for this is that if two people are truly in love, they would surely understand the consequences of their relationship on one another and take steps in the interest of one another. If the boy knows that a relationship with the girl he loves cannot materialize into marriage, he won’t bind the girl in the relationship because more than him, it’ll be the girl who will suffer. If the girl knows that her relationship with the boy can’t culminate into marriage, then she won’t bind him at the cost of his studies and at the cost of his emotions which are bound to be deeply hurt once the relationship ends.It’s high-time that we analyze relationships from a practical point of view, because if we genuinely love a person, we’ll be more practical than emotional about him/her. That perhaps is the reason that our parents are so practical about us, because they love us.Let’s put on our thinking caps. Forget what the movies say or what the T.V says or what the media says. Let’s view this issue from a practical point of view, and let’s ask ourselves, “Are affairs worth it?”

This week's theme: Love and Lust-problems and solutions

Valentines Day is fast approaching. I hear a bell ring there. It seems to be the perfect time to discuss love and lust related issues. On one hand news of people having affairs, affairs falling apart taking the people involved down with them and other such emotional tides are rampant. On the other hand, the concept of one night stands and of friends with convenience(read physical convenience) are gaining comfort with gen-Y, thanks to the lightning fast M.N.C culture, and not to forget the pubbing culture. In this backdrop, this week we shall be discussing issues related to love and lust, wherein we will be vocal about the problems arising therein and the solutions that can arise.