“Qafirana sa hai, ishq hai ya kya hai” (It feels a little basely, is this love or what?) – One fine day, I was humming to this track from Kedarnath (2018) when my mom asked me why do I love this song when I am not even dating anyone. I replied that even though I am not in love, I surely do love the concept of love.
Whenever we romanticize love, it’s said that the best day to do so is Valentine’s Day, falling on the fourteenth of February every year. As someone single for the longest time of her life till now, Valentine’s Day isn’t something I am not excited or interested in. Just like any other individual, I also feel elated on V-Day! I just love the idea of a day specially dedicated to love. Yes, I am a hopeless romantic. I have always found my solace in romantic movies, love songs, and love stories in books and novels.
Throughout my school and college years, Valentine’s Day has been a bittersweet reminder of both love’s embrace and its poignant partings, a day when I see many hearts uniting and breaking. I’ve witnessed heartwarming proposals and the dawn of beautiful relationships. Yet, on the flip side, I have also seen many lovestruck individuals facing rejection from their beloved crushes. During my early dating days, I was too young to comprehend it all, and later, I became too shy to confess my feelings for someone I liked.
Now, in college, the peer pressure to be in a relationship finds constant echoes. However, I firmly believe that to enjoy Valentine’s Day, I don’t necessarily need a partner. I’ve always trusted the mantra that to ‘love’ love, it is not necessary to be in love.
Even if I am currently single, I am genuinely excited about Valentine’s Day. My plans include jamming to some wonderfully underrated Bollywood love songs and binge-watching the timeless Hindi romantic sagas. I revisit these movies every year and wish myself a ‘Happy Valentine’s Day!’
To ‘love’ love, it is not necessary to be in love
Ritika Das, Author at Her Campus Delhi North