Witerati | All’s ‘fair’ in love
A season where roses have a field day, as much as the florists peddling an otherwise paltry priced ₹20 stem for a whopping ₹150-200; Ah, but party poopersthis season seemingly are the sunflowers
It’s that week again which spells narratives of mush, blush and funds flush. It’s that season again where there are special days popping off the calendar, like lip smackin’ Lays or crunchy Kurkure flying off an overstuffed and overdressed shelf. Special days driven by marketed mush to gift-wrapped synthetic sentimentality and gilt-edged consumerist rush -- Rose Day to Propose Day, Promise Day to Kiss Day.
A season where roses have a field day, as much as the florists peddling an otherwise paltry priced ₹20 stem for a whopping ₹150-200. Ah, but party poopersthis season seemingly are the sunflowers.
Sunflowers, peddled by scrawny and scruffy slum-dwellers playing Cupid’s dutiful deputies at roundabouts and traffic lights, seem to be claiming their place in the sun, in a season smitten by roses and relationships riding rose-tinted lenses.
V-Day to Vatrushkas
It’s also the season that spells other forms of love. An affair to remember is the book love that unfolds at the World Book Fair (WBF).
The footfalls at the WBF, Pragati Maidan, are a pulsating pointer to an abiding lure and love, for books.
How heartening to spot Young India pottering about for prose rather than rose!
To the discerning eye, this affair to remember comes in myriad shades, sizes and surprises.
Selfie-consciously yours:
Many visitors throng the book fair not so much for the love of books, but for the love of selfies.
They can be spotted preening for a purpose, than for prose. They primp and pout for selfie-ism’s day out. At “I Love WBF” selfie points, at many a prominent book stall, or with authors big and small.
Seriously & sincerely yours :
This is the book fair tribe devoted seriously and sincerely to the love of books. They can be spotted not only at hotspot stalls, but shuffling and scouting, legging it for less-known literature, by look or by nook.
They are the bookworms committed to prose day, than Propose Day.
Park strollers & picnickers:
Some book fair visitors bear a strong resemblance to park strollers and picnickers.
Their eyes light up, not so much at the sight of a prized tome, but at the sight and smell of pies ‘n’ puddings away from home.
If you thought the swarms thronging the Russian stall at WBF 2025 had to do with Tolstoy or Turgenev, perish the thought. It had to do not with the love for literature, but with lust ‘n’ longing for Blini and Bulochki to Vatrushka and Piroshki (Russian recipes).
A Book Fair tribe driven not by food for thought, but thought for food.
A narrative that smacks more of Foodies’ Day Out at Book Fair.
The curious case of Bobby Aur Blini Ki Prem Kahani.
Pally at Pench
This season also brings its share of unusual love narratives.
Take this hate story gone viral on the social media that may turn into a love lore.
It’s got to do with a tiger and a boar.
In the season of fight and friction narratives of election that see politicians squabble like junglees, our netas can find much amuse and muse in this drama that doesn’t quite conform to jungle law.
Talking of hate-turning-to-almost-love narratives, the best comes from the beast.
The Pench Tiger Reserve staged a drama that could “well” serve as inspiration for our netas and abhinetas. A tiger chasing a boar saw a twist in the tale (err, tail) when the predator and prey both fell into a well.
How survival instinct saw a watering down of their hate story! How the adversaries got peaceful and pally amid the pull-out.
How heartwarming a tale in this season of love.
The curious case of Kuch Kuch Bhigota Hai.
chetnakeer@yahoo.com
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