Chandigarh, the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, is gearing up to celebrate Valentine's Day in its own unique style.
Businessmen, gift shop owners and restaurant owners are delighted, as young couples are queuing up to make purchases and visiting eating joints, thus boosting their daily earnings. A week before the event, all discotheques in the city have been booked and eating joints have started booking orders for tables over phone.
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For Jaspal Bhatti, famous television comedian and film actor, Valentine's Day has a special significance as it coincides with the birthday of his daughter Rabiya. "This is not our festival but still it needs to be celebrated as it spreads romance in the air, even if for a short time," Bhatti said.
Young Supriya, a college-going girl, is happy that the day will provide her a chance to spend some time with her boyfriend. "How can one miss out on a day like this? I am out on a shopping spree trying to get something suitable for my valentine," she said as she sped off on her two-wheeler.
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In market joints in Chandigarh's Sector 17, which is the most happening place in the city, shop owners have prominently put up posters of young couples and announced various schemes to attract young customers to their shops.
Owner of a gift shop, who did not wish to quoted, said the sale of the Valentine cards had gone up four times in last one week. "We have cards ranging between Rs 30 to Rs 600. We also have other gifts that suit everybody's pocket. The sale of the roses picks up on the last day when every young couple seeks at least two roses to exchange their love vows," the lady said.
Neeraj, a salesman with a music shop outlet, claimed that the whole city had been gripped by Valentine's Day celebrations. "We have message slips. Those who want to convey the message to their respective valentine can just fill this little slip and leave it in the jar meant for the messages. The best messages will be given suitable rewarded on February 14 by Airtel, the mobile company that has launched this scheme. As you can seen the jar is almost half full and as the day draws nearer more messages will pour in," he said.
