Love all… bag, boyfriend et al

It's not just the spouse or girlfriend that gets lovey-dovey attention these days. Valentine's Day may just have you brimming over with love for your dog or iPod, writes Neeti Sarkar

PLUGGED INTO LOVE MODE Love’s mobile, love’s a song,… Photo: Murali Kumar k.

It's that time of the year again when almost everything around you seems to be tinted with a shade of pink, where everything (including this article) from billboards to TV ads and online sales remind you of the day when the world is soaked in mush and love and everything else associated with Valentine's Day.

For couples and those who have fortunately managed to find a date for the evening, Valentine's Day is probably all about either spending the entire day with their better halves or gifting them something significant to celebrate the love they have for each other.

However, despite this ‘undying love' for each other, apart from their better halves, there are certain

other things people just can't seem to live without — that have become the loves of their lives.

For Harsha P.J., co-founder of iRepair, “It's got to be my iPhone and a 3G internet connection on it that I can't do without,” he quips. “I'm so fond of my dog that there have been days when I've cancelled movie plans with my girlfriend to spend time with my dog, especially when I've returned from abroad after an official trip. Initially, my girlfriend would get annoyed and we've even had two breakups over my dog! But now she just comes over to watch a movie with me so I have the best of both worlds now,” guffaws Dhayan P, a software engineer.

While boys can't seem to live without gizmos ranging from their mobiles and iPods to their PSPs, women have their own set of things they feel incomplete without. “Every time I step out of my house, even if it is to the closest supermarket, I always carry my handbag. I think I'd feel naked without it,” says Shilpi Arjun, a HR manager. College girls always need their lip gloss and kajal pencils with them.

According to Apurva Kumar, a student of sociology, “These are the bare essentials for a girl. You never know when you would need to touch up, especially if it calls for after-college plans or meeting up with a new set of people. Girls can quite easily do without their boyfriends but most of them almost always need their makeup and I'm that kind of girl.”

Material things aside, Rani Mathew, a mother of two teenagers says: “I'm quite fine if my husband is out of town but if one of my sons were to leave me for more than a couple of days, I would feel really lonely.”

Love definitely keeps the world going but love is often not limited to just that special someone. For many, it is a special something.

So while every other person is set to paint the town red, there are a good number of people who will probably just walk their dog in the park or bury themselves in their favourite novel tonight!

V-Day is not necessarily spent with the person you love, but often with the thing you can't live without.