On V-Day eve, campus painted red

Vaishali Saraswat / TNN / Feb 14, 2006, 01:18 IST

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Couples are doing everything - from putting up red and pink posters on the walls, splurging on gifts to organising special parties to celebrate the day.

NEW DELHI: Delhi University has turned into a red bastion. And no, it's not the Left, but Cupid who has made inroads here on the eve of Valentine's Day.
Struck by his arrows, couples are doing everything �� from putting up red and pink posters on the walls, splurging on gifts to organising special parties �� to celebrate the day.
Riding high on this mush wave are florists, card shops, apparel stores and cafe bars.Special V-Day parties are being organised for college students, but at a price. Starting at Rs 500 for a couple, the entry fee can go up, depending on the venue. The pink posters can be seen everywhere.
For Tumal and Meenakshi of Hansraj College, it's going to be a twin celebration �� it's their first courtship anniversary and first V-Day together.

"Last year, in the wee hours of February, I sneaked into her class and decorated the entire room. I made several friends deliver her gifts on my behalf. Though, at the end of the day, she left with another friend, I knew this would work!" exclaimed Tumal, adding, "I've planned something big and different for this year as well. It's a surprise."....
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For those who think greeting cards are passe, a visit to any card shop will be a revelation. Students are busy shuffling through shelves to find the right card with a "meaningful" message.

And the bigger it is, the better. Ask Davinder from Khalsa College what's his budget and he'll tell you, "I don't mind splurging on this once a year. I've fixed the budget at Rs 4,000. I've bought a card worth Rs 450 and a dog carrying a red heart with 'I love you' written on it with swarvoski crystals."
"I've been working with my father and the money comes from my salary," he clarifies. On an average, most students are looking towards a budget of Rs 500.
"It's not the gifts that matter, but how you feel about each other. For us, it's a Valentine's Day everyday. I can't afford a five-star hotel lunch for my girlfriend, it's not important," said Gaurav who is pursuing BCom (Hons) from SRCC.
But Meenakshi from Hansraj College who has waded through various apparel shops to find the "right red", and Ashima, an interior designer who has spent Rs 2,000 on buying gifts for her fiancee �� a humungous pink heart, a string of red heart-shaped lights, a heart-shaped CD, cards and a candle �� feel gifts are a nice way to pamper your loved one...
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There were still others who were busy battling Cupid's arrows. Said ABVP's state general secretary Nakul Bharadwaj: "We are against this concept being propagated by MNCs.
However, ABVP will not indulge in any disruptive activity. We are not against westernisation but the vulgarity which is being promoted in its name."

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