It’s that time of the year again.
It’s the day when you suddenly have to go ‘meet a friend’ dressed to the nines.
The day the Bajrang Dal and lovers alike, wait for in feverish anticipation.
The day singles collectively poke fun at the “cringe” couples on social media, before sad boi hours commence at 3 am.
The day the coronavirus will take a backseat because there’s an enticing new affliction in the market.
It is, but of course, the payday for salespersons at Archies.
Or as some circles may call it, Valentine’s Day.
Even though most of us don’t get dates for V-day pretty much every year, this time we have a convenient excuse at the very least.
While we may not possess the intrinsic abilities to spread our wings and puff out our chests, our mating rituals do warrant a lot of effort.
Whether it’s loitering around in dating apps or “sliding into dms”, humankind has evolved a great deal.
To love is to risk it all, especially the feed you so lovingly curated.
Should you post pictures with your significant other and possibly jinx your fate, or do you keep it private and deal with the barrage of uncomfortable comments from Rahul, your e-stalker who wants to be “frendz”?
To post or not to post, that is the question.
The lockdown makes me wonder if we’re truly desirable, or if people are just plain lonely.
But I’m not here to be a downer. Surely, somebody must be having a fun time this 14th?
And oh boy, they are.
But it’s not who you think it is.
Valentines is now less about love, and more about the worth of your wallet.
It is not about togetherness, but about checking to see if that couple on Instagram is still together.
With the rise in commercialisation, Valentine’s day is a glaringly prominent event.
Be it email campaigns or special sales, every venture has found a way to bank on the occasion to broaden their agenda.
With messages of love, cupids and hearts all around, it becomes more about spending the day scrolling through online stores and buying things you don’t need, rather than spending quality time with your partner.
Because, 50% off.
May the Lord save the first tinder dates that tragically got scheduled on the 14th.
Yikes.
With the handy façade of honouring loved ones, we are being led to believe that adoration is dependent on how we showcase it to the world.
The idea of celebrating love is definitely a noteworthy cause, but it’s important to see who actually benefits from it.
If spending copious amounts of money to display endearment is our sole idea of Valentine’s Day, then I believe we owe an apology to all those rich people we outrage over for professing their undying love by buying each other islands and property on the moon.
In this age of social media, the line between real and reel is blurred, often non-existent.
Showering gifts has become a norm, a necessity for the day to be deemed successful.
You are now required to make the obligatory posts on social media to declare your bond still unbroken, much to the chagrin of your “bff” Tina’s prying eyes.
So, what can you do?
This Valentine’s Day, celebrate love, not money.
Display affection, not compulsion.
Make it more than just a commemoration of capitalism.
I better wrap it up now, my cart is not going to fill itself.
This post was written by Manya, IInd year.
