I call it a fiasco cause the chaos stirred by this occasion brings memories from my past. Perhaps its a mere coincidence but my experiences have not been very pleasant as I managed to pick up arguments with many of my girlfriends invariably on the 14th of Feb.
I found it hard to digest the fact that on certain years I was treated to a very satisfying experience too but somehow its always been about the treatment meted out to the opposite sex. Its like the one day when we tell the opposite sex that they are in fact the better sex and the indulgence and insistence seems to be a mutual one. It surprised me a great deal when my mother told me its significance and relevance abroad which she herself realised cause my uncle then pursuing his MS in US of A, sent a valentines card for his beloved and then alive father. An amazing relationship my grandfather shared with his children who are all crazed writers to some extent. They all write letters, exchange letters, buy cards and the works for any occasion where one can express love and belongingness. Having witnessed first hand such love and affection for each other I could never relate to the pomp and fervour associated with some foolish men trying to impress on some vanity fair.
In fact the comedy actually came to the forefront when I entered my teens and a whole range of bullshit Hindi romantic movies hit the theatres. Here we were living in a country which just released star movies and the rest of the cable channels, and we were yet absorbed by this form of entertainment called watching Hindi movies which had one major subject called couples romance around which the story line revolves. Guys forget not the fact that we are the only generation which has viewed star uncensored. Those were the good old days. One fine day as I entered school I was welcomed by a frenzied checking which by todays aviation standards will also stand taller still. As my curious eyes gazed over the concerned principal and teachers I found out these guys were actually paranoid about gifts and cards confiscated from the teen school kids. Suddenly what seemed like a cultural offence to some on investigation was noted that the reasons were far more economic than otherwise.
I grew up in a city which quite shamelessly on your face makes you realise when you are a kid that the world is clearly about the haves and have not's. It is this magnanimous city of Bombay that has space for everyone that once infamously put up hoardings of a theme park screaming “Your daddy takes you to the zoo whereas my daddy takes me to the essel world” It will obviously be natural for some of our parents to have taken offence on being referred to as the cattle class. perhaps what passed me as mere amusement and a comedy of errors when as a direct result of the on screen romance spilled over to the streets of bombay, it slowly dawned over everyone that Archie's retail was reaping massive benefits over fuming parents who could not afford for their sons to spend on a decent cup of coffee and sandwich for their chosen special friend from the opposite sex. It came to be seen as a Gujarati fancy to be related anywhere close to such an indulgence. Of course I regard them as the original proponents of lets try anything and everything. This is quite clearly a community which considers anything remotely western to be tried of course. We brothers have the cool is some slogan that even the elders in their family practice. Guajarati's are perhaps the only breed who recognized the need for young kids to have an occasion for themselves and consider it as something rather harmless.
In stark contrast other conservatives seeing their reaction decided upon themselves that if the Guajarati's are not stopping their kids then we conclude there is definitely something wrong in this whole thing called valentines. First of all that Archie's fellow is a Guajarati. The fellows buying cards are Gujarati, people going to dance, men and women alike, till the wee hours, during the dandia season are again Guajarati's. These are money making machines who off course spoil their children was a typical response that kind of triggered the infamous campaign against Valentines day in the name of Hinduism. The whole idea of imagining the next level for our kids to stoop down was a bit silly according to me cause already quite a bit was going on as usual life behind their backs to which parents had absolutely no idea to. Only to what today can pass as normal those were quite clearly days of coping with change. A change that perhaps was to happen with a few slaps witnessed by many of my compatriots for holding hands or for being seen on a date. For a country which is as conservative as ours which enforces segregation of sexes as a common practice in all schools we suddenly went on to having an occasion to go to the beach party.
Too much alcohol too fast and the car goes zoommmm! well I never got enough of the self obsessed loser's who invariably boasted of a so called romantic experience while in the company of the woman who's main agenda was to make him spend by the way. Common gosh these were just boys talking about their bouts of tryst with their manly hood. It required a couple or more women to make someone worthy of recognition. What a man…. what a talent was the thing to be known for. He goes on a date….. wow!
As compared to all such camaraderie that man making conversation involves I certainly respect my own community more than others. I believe Bongs are one creed who will retain all yet absorb the fun around. I do have eyes for many of my female friends as they too shower their attention on me and I certainly wish to give them my observations on why we can have more valentines more often.
Always believed enough is never enough! long live the fiasco!
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