Expressions of love

Actor Akshay Kumar cooked a traditional Gujju meal for his wife Twinkle on her birthday recently, while Aamir Khan took wife Kiran Rao on a surprise trip to Panchgani in a chopper to celebrate their third wedding anniversary. Sure, gifts need not necessarily be weighed in money; after all, it is about emotions and feelings... We speak to some people to know how they showcased their affection towards their better halves.
Celebrating togetherness
Diamonds are precious. But, politician Nitin Gadkari knows how to make these expensive rocks even more special. Recently, he presented a beautiful diamond set to his wife Kanchan on their marriage anniversary. ���I happened to accompany Kanchan to a jewellery exhibition organised in the city. She liked one particular set and I decided to gift it to her. She was taken aback and I just cannot forget the expression on her face. Anniversaries remind me of the beautiful moments we have spent together. After so many years of marriage, the passion and romance may no longer be there, but affection and warmth in the relationship grows,��� says Nitin.
Businessman Ashish Deshmukh believes that a beautiful gesture can express more than words and gifts. So, sometime back, on his wife Ayushree���s birthday, he decided to do something he had never tried his hand at ��� irrespective of the fact that it fell flat on his face. Filling us on this, he says, ���I decided to surprise her by cooking biryani while she was away. I started preparing it and followed the instructions mentioned in the recipe book. But, when I opened the cooker, the rice was all burnt. Actually, I had forgotten to put water in it. The biryani went into the dustbin, but Ayushree loved the fact that I had tried doing something different for her.���
Getting mushy
For the lovebirds, occasions like birthdays usually mean a bunch of red roses, loads of chocolates, holding hands, a candlelight dinner and perfumes... But, for adman Sanjay Arora, celebrating his beloved���s 21st birthday was much more than that. Talking about it, Sanjay says, ���Shalini was studying Commercial Arts in Delhi and I had just launched my advertising agency in Nagpur. Money was a major problem then, but I wanted Shalini���s 21st birthday to be a special occasion. So, I gave her a big surprise. I knew from where she boarded the bus for college. So, I boarded a train to Delhi and headed straight for the bus-stand. I waited for her and when I crept up from behind, she was caught totally unawares. She started crying when she saw me. She bunked her classes that day and we spent the entire day together. I left for Nagpur the same evening. Till date, I have given her several gifts, but that one remains the most cherished for us.���
Remembering his wife Alpana���s birthday is no difficult task for cop Anup Singh, though he has never been able to celebrate it. ���Alpana���s birthday falls on April 14, which is Ambedkar Jayanti and that���s a busy day for us cops. But, two years back, I ordered a chocolate cake and bouquets and at midnight, I surprised her with my wishes. Though she did not express her joy in words, her expressions said it all,��� says he.
When you have friends and relatives like that of businessmen Suresh Sharma, it is hard to forget these special days. ���I would remember my wife Kalpana���s birthday only when gifts from friends and relatives would start coming in for her. Only then I���d order for some cards and give them to her. For several years, she thought that I did remember her birthday, and this pleased her immensely, although now, I am sure, she has caught on,��� he laughs.