Romance resonated in the air from the morning as couples woke up to a sunny Sunday and started exchanging love messages to mark Valentine's Day.
Kidwaipuri resident Apurva Siddharth sent this message to his girlfriend at 6.30am: "I am feeling so happy. Do you know why? Because I am so lucky, do you know how? Because God loves me. Do you know how? Because he gave me a gift. Do you know what? It is you my love!"
A few others had headed for the leisurely morning stroll with their partners around that time.
"I have been going to Eco Park for morning walks for over five years now. I was going alone for the walk for the past two months as my husband used to get up late owing to the chilly winter. However, today I woke him up at 6am with a bunch of red roses and we went for the walk together and recalled the beautiful moments we lived together over the past 14 years," said Shastri Nagar resident Anupama Dubey.
As the day progressed, lovers stopped messaging and calling each other and stepped out to meet their beloved.
Many of them were dressed in red and white, popular colours to flaunt on the day of love. The sunny skies allowed couples to venture out without the fear of a wet spell spoiling their plans.
"I took my wife to Rajgir for the double celebration as her birthday also falls on Valentine's Day. Though it was a bit hot in the afternoon, we enjoyed the scenic beauty of the hills and lakes at Rajgir," said Amit Kumar, employee of a private firm in Patna.
Many couples went to Funtasia Island, the water park at Sampatchak, where a Valentine's Day party was organised.
"Apart from non-stop music played by the DJ, games had been arranged for couples and several food counters were set up," said Sanjay Choudhary, owner, Funtasia Island.
Love is priceless but roses were expensive on Valentine's Day.
At the flower markets near Mahavir Mandir, Patna Junction and Shiv Mandir on Boring Road, roses were aplenty in myriad colours and sizes.
A bunch of 25 roses, usually available for Rs 150, was priced between Rs 200 and 250. A single rose, which one can buy for Rs 20 on any other day, was dearer by Rs 10 on Sunday.
The railway police took an initiative of felicitating few elderly couples travelling by train on V-Day.
"We selected five couples aged 60 years or above travelling from Patna to Delhi on the Rajdhani Express on Valentine's Day and gave them bouquet and chocolates," said P.N. Mishra, superintendent of rail police (Patna).
Picture by Ashok Sinha
