A few days prior to Valentine’s Day, numerous brands and shops may have convinced you that pink and red are the only colors to express love and a bouquet of flowers and expensive gifts for your partner will make your relationship last longer. Well, is this the future of love?
No! Not all women believe that diamonds are their best friends, getting a home or car make them happy or pink and red are the only colors to celebrate love on February 14.
While love is still in the air, in a candid conversation with Life Beyond Numbers, 5 beautiful women shared that not expensive gifts, but how care, trust, gratitude have become the hallmarks of their relationship.
Even though we have been often advised that long-distance relationships are not healthy and fall apart over a period of time, these women have proven all of them wrong.
Pooja Choudhary (28), who hails from Pune is in a long-distance relationship with Rahul (name changed) for years and has very fond memories of her partner that will fulfill his physical absence today.
While talking to LBN, she says, “I met him during Holi, and we kind of zinged. We both knew that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. He proposed at the bus stop in front of so many random people and I was left speechless. Our love life is full of laughter, jokes and silly things, which at times make people around us jealous. We stay light, take care of each other without losing our individuality, which is the base of our relationship.”
Talking or constant chatting is not necessary for relationships. Enjoying the silence together also has its own charm. If you haven’t felt it already, take a cue from this couple.
“Love is very platonic for us. I am in Pune, he is the US and we don’t get to meet much in person, but I believe our bonding is very strong and even in the era of dating apps, hookups and Tinder, we are not intimidated by these. Also, expensive gifts don’t make the bond stronger, what you feel and think about each other does. Because of certain responsibilities and parental pressure, we are unable to take the deep plunge of marriage, but we are quite hopeful that good things will find a way to us.”
When she meets him in person, this elated woman says, “I would like to convey this message to him – “Mujhse dur Kahin Na Jaa bas yehi kahin reh jaa, main teri deewani re”. Love Always.”
Like Pooja, Charvi Shah (27) from Ahmedabad, Gujarat was also in a long distance relationship with Jaymine Shah before they tied the knot in 2016. She says, “Our relationship started when we were in school. Every day is filled with love when you are with the right person. Our bonding or affection for each other is not restricted to any particular day. People are skeptical about long-distance relationships, but if you understand each other well, distance is never an issue.”
Charvi and Jaymine stayed in the relationship for 10 long years and he proposed her thrice using a phone, letter and in person. “I believe that we stood the test of time. At times things were not smooth, but we have so much love and respect for each other that we have crossed each crisis like a pro,” recalls Charvi with a smile.
What else makes their life interesting? Both have itchy feet and they are couple travel bloggers as well. Spiced with travel, this beautiful couple looks forward to many more beautiful journeys together. “We take off from our work and believe that time is the best thing that you can gift your partner. It is ok to go for dinners, buying flowers and chocolates, but there is no match for spending quality time together.”
If you are willing to give effort, there are a hundred ways to make a relationship work and if you don’t want to fix it, there are hundreds of excuses as well.
“I feel so lucky to have Amardeep as my partner. We have been in a relationship for 8 long years and we finally tied the knot in 2013. I am a Bengali and he belongs from a Bihari community. Our cultures and traditions were so different, but when you are in love acceptance become easy. We believe in fixing broken things rather than discarding them. So, whatever situations we have been through, our relationship has become more beautiful with time,” says Satabdi Biswas (29) from Kolkata.
“I would love to have my partner within constant physical reach, but we know each other for so long, it feels like we grew up with each other. Even though because of his work we hardly get to spend time with each other he is not in the city, I am still celebrating today with my friends. To her husband, she says, “I love you so much and miss you. Come back soon and we shall celebrate again.”
Why gift something to your partner that can be easily bought with money, create something new for them. Remember that even the smallest effort can create the biggest impact in our lives!
Anuradha Singh (29) from Odisha’s Sambalpur feels that when you give time to your relationship, you will be able to see the beauty that it contains. “Because of busy schedules, we hardly get time to go out, but whatever little time we get, we try to make the most of it. If you truly want to experience the magic of love, do not restrict it to a particular day.”
About her husband Pallav, she says, “He doesn’t miss any chance to make me feel special. We both value trust and understanding and not necessarily we celebrate special occasions by buying each other expensive gifts, but a cute message from him or a rose makes my day. We have been married for 2 years and our love is growing with each passing day.”
Showing affection to your loved ones doesn’t mean that you have to burn a hole in your pocket. It can be as simple as asking your partner if they are OK, a spontaneous hug, complimenting them or giving them a cup of tea while they are in bed.
This is what 24-year-old Naina Mishra from Chandigarh, says about her partner Karamdeep, “Every year on Valentine’s Day, we usually begin by wishing each other and reviving the memories spent together in all the years. What we feel about each other is important for us, not the expensive gifts.”
“Every day is special when you are in love. If you are in an honest relationship, your partner will make it a point to make your every day of your life beautiful. For us, Valentine’s Day is just a cherry on the cake.”
In William Arthur Ward’s words, “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” So, while Love is in the air and it doesn’t cost a dime to show care, affection, and gratitude towards your partner, a warm and compassionate heart will be enough to sustain your relationship!