I'd semi-sworn to myself that I would NOT write any cynical, snide things about 14th feb., even if the greeting card/stuffed-toy/entertainment bandwagon ran over me in the street, guffawing all the way to the bank.

A friend literally delegated the chore to me, saying she'd thought about maaroing caustic ones but felt my attempt wld be more effective. May have been too, coz notwithstanding the fact that I've never yet spent a single valentine gazing deeply in any1's eyes or held hands in the moonlite and so forth, I'm good at sneering. Like innumerable other such days, y'day evening I was sitting in a parked car, guzzling booze with a friend. Only, this time, he was a Smug Married, and I was , sadly, still me. When he suggested I disappear b4 his wife showed up at their pre-arranged rezendvous, I staggered away scoring a parting shot- valentine ain't for newlyweds- they're getting theirs regularly anyways. Its the poor suckers who're still got their hopes- and body appendages- high; who need to go thru the motions.

Acidaj vinberos? (that's Esperanto for sour grapes.....thanx Giri)

Possible but not probable.

Coz seriously, something's majorly gone awry when the proof of undying love is sposed to be manifested ONLY by conspicious consumption- with ceremonies and rites imported from the other end of the world-- and the mindless herds, sure enough, fall for it with nary a blink.

The number of cards a girl found in her desk on returning from morning assembly on V. Day was already a status symbol in my schooldays, viz. 16 yrs back- I wonder how utterly malicious and vicious the Ronnie lodges of all those high-end schools must be now.......and exactly how low the Big Ethels of the world must be made to feel.

Meantime, self-appointed cultural guardians must've been waiting for the big day with keen anticipation and hands itching to surreptitiously grope and fondle all the doity gals out with their boyfriends, even as they yell about degrading Indian culture.

Yeah right. Our country's population's crossed the billion mark coz we've been busy watching mickey mouse cartoons all this while.

In any case, I haven't ever done the "done" thing on 14th feb. the only significance it has for me is it being my sister's wedding anniversary. And last year, I was out at Ruby Tuesday's convincing a lady to try booze for the 1st time. And alas, didn't take advantage of her inebriation either. More the bleddy fool, me!

The same friend who was goading me to attack V-day, however, wrote that she welcomes anything that causes the general happiness content in the world to go up, even if its for a few hrs. maybe that's the correct way to look at it. Love, they say, is the father of child of illusion and the daddy of disillusion. let em enjoy the trip while the illusion lasts.