I’m in the bus again on my way home after an overnight trip to my parents’. Somehow going to Poona always brings back memories of growing up, perhaps kindled by seeing them . Somehow visiting Poona in February always reminds me of a wedding of a family friend that I had attended. 

R was the first of my friends to get married mainly because she was older than us by a few years. I was fascinated by her because she was bold , confident and absolutely sure of what she wanted. She wanted a lifestyle before any of us knew what the word meant and she made sure she got it. 

So when she found the guy of her dreams, she made sure she married him. Being a girl who wanted a lifestyle meant that she didn’t want to settle for a traditional Hindu wedding the way it was conducted for her parents and grandparents and their parents before them. She wanted something more contemporary, affordable and intimate. 

I now don’t remember much of the actual ceremony but I do remember that she had planned to have it solemnised at her grandparents’ home in Poona. This was in the days when wedding planners weren’t on the radar, so she planned everything down to the last detail – tight from the cards which were a departure from the traditional to the menu. But what stands out most is the song which was playing in the background over and over again  “love is in the air” 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=325jxJIJkJM#

What is it about February that makes one think of love? Who was St Valentine ? And why is his appeal universal ? 

  According to history ,Valentine was a priest who helped young Christian lovers get married so he has come to represent love or more appropriately “young love” . 
There is something romantic about a tragic or doomed love story and hearts always beat faster when they hear about Romeo & Juliet or Laila & Majnu. Star crossed lovers hold a special appeal like strawberries , cherries and an Angels kiss in Spring , chocolates as red roses . 

Next week the market will be flooded with inflated red heart balloons, long stem single red roses and boxes of chocolate ready for gifting to your Valentine. 

So is it any surprise that February brings with it the promise of a new romance, memories of an old love and a general feeling that love is in the air? 

Linking this to #MondayMusings