the casualties of valentine's day ...

....tears, tissues and tragedy


It is a few days to the beginning of the second month of the year and the once carefree Muslimah that was happy being unattached now sulks around, downturned face as none of her male mxit contacts have claimed undying love for her yet and the clock was ticking faster to the day of celebration. On the other side of the screen, the innocent looking Muslim boy spurts sweet nothing to every other female in hope of having one or maybe a few to call “His One” for that day.

Taking a step outside, one would feel as if they have adorned rose tinted glasses as the world looks as if it has been repainted in a blood red hue. Every tree seems to be blossoming plastic hearts, and tacky gifts seem to be more precious than jewels. One would not be wrong to assume that Cupid has struck the entire world with his arrow, from all the love struck couples that seem to surface at this period.

The commercial world which is always ahead of the mood of the consumer, add to the atmosphere with their romantic gifts, cards with lines that would make Shakespeare look like nursery rhymes and roses the price of an entire garden.

Looking through the chronicles of history one sees pages dedicated to the lovers of bygone days. Flipping open ones sees the legend of Romeo and Juliet’s two day love story, a few pages down and the tale of the unattainable love of Layla and Majnu is remembered. Flipping a few pages, one is reminded of the love story of Tristan and Isoldey and Anthony and Cleopatra and further on the romance of Pyramus and Thisbe is retold. As the book reaches an end, last but far from the least the love of Salim and Anarkali who was entombed alive is repeated. Saint Valentine the Christian priest who died for Love is honoured just as he is on this day. Each tale of love seems to hold a central of tragedy and a loss of love before it is even enjoyed.

We look for the definition of love in stories of couples who died before they could enjoy their love, of couples who went mad in the drug of love, ate of forbidden fruit and fell to their death and in fairytale that do not go beyond a feeble happily ever after.

To steal a line from the Brothers of Native Deen: “ We look for love in places dark and cold, when we have a guiding light for the whole world to be hold”.

We have a fairytale to be in awe off; the most romantic love story to share with all; a celebrity couple to use as role model; a match made not by man but by the Creator and the epitome of love; the love of our Prophet and his wife Khadija (May peace be upon them).

Today’s love is so fleeting that many do not have go deeper than the paper they were printed on and last no further than the next message.

Let us take a journey to the month of March and note the wilted flowers strewn on the floor as the once jubilant girl fervently chants, “he loves me, he loves me not”. Hear the regret on the lips on the lad who wasted his allowance all in hope to woo the girl who was never going to be his. Watch the girl franticly exercising off the chocolate induced weight, the only evidence of the love that has now been long forgotten. Get your glue ready to patch those broken hearts.

till the glue dries
i bid thee farewell