Monday, February 14, 2011

Trying to be Yellow, Running from Red

Yesterday was the first day of spring here in Bangladesh today, according to the Bengali calendar. Pohela Falgun, we like to call it, because Falgun is the first month of Spring in the Bengali calendar. The colour for the day is yellow; you go out on the streets on Pohela Falgun, and almost every other female you see (i don't think the boys even know it's spring!) will be wearing yellow ensembles. Some like to go traditional with yellow saris and big bindis, with a yellow marigold or dahlia neatly tucked in behind an ear; others like me, who are too lazy to take the time dress up, stick to the everyday salwar kamiz. Sometimes yellow is sidestepped by mustard, orange, ochre and sometimes even green, but the mood of the day always remains yellow, with all its sunny characteristics. Usually I wear yellow on this day every year, but yesterday I somehow was just not in the mood. I didn't feel the spring in my step, nor did I feel spring in the air. So I decided to stop trying to feel yellow (yellow, to me, always means happiness) and stuck to a dull mauve. And the day went by in a blurry maze.



Red is the order of the day today. I had been hoping that this year, my lack of enthusiasm about Valentine's Day would take a break, and I, like almost everyone else around me, would be able to join the bandwagon of mushy so-in-love individuals who can't wait for this day to show up on the calendar every year. Don't get me wrong, I'm a very romantic person at heart, and romantic novels and movies can turn me into a big ball of sappy mush in a matter of seconds; but Valentine's Day and I have never been on good terms, and hence I dread this red letter day every year. Even though red is one of my favourite colours, I refuse to wear red on this particular day and I dread going to cafes adorned with heart-shaped balloons. However, this year I was determined to change my attitude towards this day just because I figured it would be a huge surprise for the hubby and might even make him feel special. The plan was to surprise him with a handmade goodie basket the moment he woke up in the morning. I went out last week and bought a cute stuffed chimpanzee which I knew he would love, and an adorable little Scooby Doo which I hoped would add some life to his workstation. I further planned to fill the basket with chocolates and munchies, and maybe some red candles, and even wanted to string balloons with the basket of goodies but thought it would be better to buy these stuff right on the day before. But like I said, yesterday did not go too well for me. I was absolutely not in the mood to go out shopping for tokens to express my love, and just like that, I found my newborn enthusiasm towards February 14th fade away into oblivion. Oh well, the hubby did get his chimpanzee and Scooby Doo at midnight, but there were no chocolates, no candles and certainly no balloons. I, in turn, got a hair straightener, a big box of makeup products but what stole my heart was the card with the most beautiful words I've ever read. And the words were the hubby's own :) Well, that worked a little magic on me, and I decided I would wear red today, and maybe try a little bit harder to like this day a little bit more from next year onwards, only because this day brought out the writer in my hubby, a part I never knew existed :)

6 comments:

Chandana said...

Even i always have mixed feelings about V-day. I feel like celebrating it but at the same time i feel its not that big a deal.

But you dont really need an excuse to do something wonderful for your special someone.. like you and your hubby did for each other. Simple gestures matter and they turn an ordinary day into a special one :)

erer said...

happy valentines day :)
sweet post there!

Nas said...

I think like Chandana said, we shouldn't have a special day to remember the ones we love, as we should be doing it all year round.
But sometimes, we forget, and days like this just give you an excuse (for lack of better word) to do something nice.

:)

Saima Newaz-Karim said...

beautiful piece. the last two lines took my breath away..surely, i hate valentines day maybe coz nobody YET made me realize how special it can turn out to be.

well, i am still breathing and another feb 14 is still on her way..lets see. :D

all the best to u two! HVD!

Purple Butterfly said...

Thanks everyone :) Well yes, I did realize that if this day prompts us to sit up and purposely try to come up with an innovative way of showing our love to the one we love most and to remind them how much we care, then it does deserve some credit. I agree that we can do this any other day of the year as well, but truth be told, we usually don't. So maybe I will try to take advantage of this day from now on if it puts a smile on hubby dear :D

Suruchi said...

valentine's day is anyways overrated...but so good to see u guys making the effort still..
yellow, red...it's not the colour that matters...it's love that colours it all:-)

wishing u loads of more love

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