Love is in the air along with the faint smell of commercials brimming with hearts and I seriously couldn’t care enough. I woke up today, as usual picked up the morning newspaper to read with my cup of chai, and I was hit by this huge-ass advertisement that said, “Make it a day to cherish forever.”

Yes, Valentine’s day is upon us and if that advertisement had not rudely awakened me to the fact, that today is the day, I wouldn’t have known. I mean, who has the time? This was just another regular Tuesday for me. But, then I read another article on my phone, while on my way to work, that lambasted this day and then another, that went on to cite ten things they hated about the day.

While it amuses me how people love Valentine’s day, it amuses me even more how people love to hate it. 

It has almost become a national pass-time for people, during the first two weeks of February, where they invest their time and energy bemoaning the existence of the day. Too much is written about, the same old weary arguments exchanged. 

Saint Valentine would not have approved of it.

Couples just want to rub their relationship in your face.

I don’t celebrate V-day. Not because I hate it, but it just seems like a big facade. Am I too lazy? Maybe. Honestly, in my adult life, I really do not have the time and the energy to go about buying gifts, wrapping them, or planning that perfect date to make it memorable for my loved one. I mean, while I would love to do all this for my special someone, I want to do it on my own accord and not have this invisible gun in my head to do something because Saint Valentine says so. 

I love love. I love everything about love. I think love is too vast or organic to be restricted to one day. But I am okay with people who want to celebrate the day. I won’t celebrate it but I won’t hate you for celebrating it. Isn’t it far too exhausting to spend so much energy into hating a day that is meant to celebrate love?

Malls and restaurants are flooded on V-day with lovers wearing red, white and black. There is blatant PDA is every nook and cranny. It almost feels like everyone is suddenly really really horny. Companies cash in on it like nobody’s business. This is all cool. I mean, as long as nobody is getting affected. But it is not for me. 

There is a set pattern. Every year, the 14th of February is seen as the day of love. The week preceding it is celebrated by people and organisations. Our social media feed seems to sell just about anything from relationships to coffee mugs in the name of V-day and that leaves us with unfavorable odds to successfully ignore it all. 

I am a sucker for love, romance and all things mushy. It is beautiful and dreamy and holds the power of making one levitate while their feet are still touching the ground. 

I did fall in love once and that felt like it didn’t really need a special day to be celebrated. That was the time in my life when I truly stopped caring for Valentine’s day. I believe that a day like this is meant to make humans feel ‘not-whole’ for not having someone to share it with more than it is about the expression of love itself. It thrives on unreal expectations which is exactly what love isn’t. But the fact of the matter remains, those who enjoy it, enjoy it and that is absolutely okay. 

My relationship with a person didn’t come along with expectations based on societal agreements.

I shared a bond that was filled with surprises, special moments, kisses, hugs, promises, heart-eyed emoji, and a big slice of salted caramel everyday. No teddies, though. They are creepy AF. That was, in fact, the first time that I realised how unimportant Valentine’s day was and the fact that I probably wasted my time thinking about all the gifts that I never received on that ‘special’ day.