So it’s THAT time of the year again — February 14 — when red roses flood the streets and heart-shaped chocolate boxes are bought by the second. It’s a day of love and joy, at least for the ‘oh-so-in-love’ couples.
It’s quite different for the ‘oh-please-put-a-bullet-through-me’ single ones, who, for most part of the year, are happy. The freedom of burping and the right to smell bad is just wonderful. I mean, no one to call every night, no need to recharge every other day, no need to buy gift ever month (cause its always some important day in a relationship), you can sleep whenever, wake up whenever, eat whenever and go wherever and no one to ask really annoying questions, well, except maybe your parents. But that’s a whole different article.
So why’s this day any different? Well, for starters, our year-long relationship with the TV essentially ends today. All the networks decide to plot against us and screen the movies that are otherwise quite unwatchable. Like for example, The Proposal. Sandra bullock is kick-ass, no doubts. But that has to be her most unbearable movie ever. Don’t even get me started about these music channels, that were cheesy to begin with. We wonder what you did in life to deserve watching this. We can surf all we want, but nothing good is going to magically pop up.
Once we’ve given up after a couple of hours of trying, and head out, we regret it as soon as a gush of rosy fragrance hits our face. And if we thought our “committed” friends were annoying before, their annoyance quotient would have increased a notch, overnight! They would be everywhere, these couples. In theatres, malls, restaurants, beaches and even temples! They gradually invade the whole city. It’s like the millionth sequel to Resident Evil, the virus slowly spreading across the crowd. And it doesn’t help much with all the offers sprayed across the banners and posters throughout the place. Like our life wasn’t miserable enough already, we will bump into a friend. A sickeningly-happy friend; not unlike Janice, from F.R.I.E.N.D.S. Lord have mercy on those who can’t make the relation!
Chances are, the more you don’t want to see anyone, the more number of people you see. And they look at us with pity, for being pathetically alone on V-Day (that’s what the kids call it these days). This is like their reply for all those days we’ve made fun of them for having a boyfriend or girlfriend; all those days we’ve rubbed it in their faces about how much cooler our life actually is. This year it’s much worse for me, because my only single friend went ahead and got married, without even giving a head’s up.
At the end of the day, we are tired, drained and sick of pink and red, that the mere thought of looking at another red balloon or pink ribbon will make us want to throw up. But we make it home, because we’re warriors. And we hit the bed. And we smile, because our wallets are still full. And tomorrow is a brand new day that is not Valentine’s Day. We have these minor consolations to get you through the rest of the night. All my fellow single people, remember, you might not have a valentine on Valentine’s Day, but most people are happy not to have cancer or Cancer Day, Aids on Aids day and children in Children’s Day. Cheers to another 364 days of joy!
RASHMI RAVEENDRAN, SRM Medical College, Kattankulathur
