V-Day special - CUPID INC.

Cupid is a rich fairy these days. He has laid his bow and arrow to rest, and is counting the dough.Because love, in today's world, is big business.
According to a recent Valentine's Day research, love enthusiasts spend approximately $17.6 billion on romance-related gifts like jewellery, cards, flowers and chocolates, all in the US alone! A casual look around, and you'll see people flocking to buy things for their loved ones, as most outlets roll out the red carpet for them with exciting offers and best deals.`Loveonomics' is setting the standard for lovers all over the world.
In fact, such is the demand for goods and services for lovers globally that even Recession hasn't been able to cast a shad ow on it. Akhila Shivadas from the Center for Media Advocacy says, “We are exposed to a new love imagery these days -love experiences are being lived through `romantic rituals'. Love products are being advertised with promises to make your bond stronger. You see precious metals like gold, diamond enticing people into a `love story of a lifetime' from hoardings to TV and magazines.“
The perfect candlelight dinner at a high-end restaurant; expensive bouquets from boutique shops, customised cupcakes and chocolates boxes; bespoke suits and designer dresses; destination holiday packages exclusively for lovers... affection can be bought in today's world as soon as you dole out the dough. There are dance classes all over the country that are attracting couples with special packages to get their moves right and fall in love with each other all over again. Wait for this: there are even `love classes' which train couples and singletons about the etiquettes of love, and help couples in relationship to get into an intimate mode.
Romantic gestures too are being bought with money --you could gift your lover a poem or personalised music. Then comes technology.Love, dating, hooking up apps apart, there are other interesting ideas on offer -like a special pillow that keeps you connected with your long distance lover even if you're in separate households, cities or countries! This pillow has a ring sen sor, which wirelessly communicates with the other person's pillow; when one person goes to bed, their lover's pillow begins to glow softly to indicate their presence. Placing your head on the pillow allows you to hear the real-time heartbeat of your loved one.These are just some options from a plethora of choices around you.
The motto seems to be “if you love someone, you've got to show it“. Author Raksha Bharadia explains why this commodification of romance works in today's world. “It's the only way love can be sustained! By its very nature, romance is short-lived and passion, fleet ing. Once the thrill of the chase dissipates, how do you sustain the mystery, the passion? How do you compensate for the loss of novelty? In this world of ours, chasing perfection on all fronts, with very little time on hands, the Love Industry has become the perfect bridge between desire and satisfaction.“
Vocalising love has become difficult in today's world, and face-to-face interactions have become stiff as this generation is far more comfortable chatting with their fingertips.
Thus, couples are becoming completely dependent on the Love Industry to help express the most basic human emotion.
But can love really be bought with pretty things, cool apps and expensive services? Says Nisha Jamwal, celebrity and brand consultant, “Packaged love leads to dissatisfaction and disappointments and a lack of true fulfilment in a relationship over a long period of time. Where is the pleasure of agenda free romance? If the boy didn't bring the roses, the cake, there's like ly to be a burst of emo t i o n and to tal am nesia of all the ten der ro mantic moments the couple has ex perienced during the journey of their romance. Love was supposed to be a feeling in the heart that made your spirit flutter with joie de vivre, not a flutter created with a limited edition Mont Blanc or a 50-carat solitaire!“ Dr Avdesh Sharma, psychiatrist and co-author of Couples in Harmony: Nine Keys to Enriching Relationships, says, “Romantic gestures may be bought with money to a certain extent, but beyond the initial lure into a relationship, the relationship needs non-judgmental acceptance. Real love transcends fashions and fads. The one thing that will make love last is emotional connect. If that core of a relationship gets masked with gifts, it will get rocky. A lot of times, a huge gesture or an expensive gift may be just a bribe or an easy fix to a problem that needs time, effort and maturity. A stable relationship needs self-esteem, autonomy, flexibility, empathy, nurturance, intimacy, communication, conflict resolution capacity and creative coping skills. A solitaire may make you smile for a bit but it won't resolve core issues or make you happy forever.“
Artist Anjana Kuthiala believes material display of affection cannot be the true indicator of a person's real feelings., “Today, love is a nicely packaged gift, , but love doesn't stay inside the gift for long. The simple joy of looking into a person's eyes and calling it love is irre placeable. What's real if even love po ems can be purchased off the internet these days to impress your lover?“ Did you know why Cupid has wings?
Mythology says it's because lovers are flighty and change their minds too of ten. His bow and arrows come in handy to knock us down as we humans are known to be capricious. With him busy counting the money, can lovers be hap py in the long run?
COUPLE COMMERCIAL! Here are some of the fun, naughty and bizarre ideas and things on offer for couples that you may not know about... z A special pillow keeps you connect ed with your long-distance lover even if you're in separate households, cities or countries! This pillow has a ring sen sor, which wirelessly communicates with the other person's pillow. When one person goes to bed, their lover's pillow begins to glow softly to indicate their presence. Placing your head on the pillow allows you to hear the real-time heartbeat of your loved one.
Couples in love could pick up Fundies Underwear for Two, where you and your partner wear one underwear to experience a new level of intimacy.
Go for a Face to Face Tandem Bike, where the two of you can ride a two seater cycle and can gaze lovingly into each other's eyes.
For a rainy day, get a duabrella ­ combination of two umbrel las sold as one for a couple.