Patna, Nov. 17: Hounded by moral police at cyber cafés and restaurants, the best bet for lovebirds is seasonal nests like the ongoing National Book Fair.

Visit Gandhi Maidan if you wish to disagree. You will find the book fair ground teeming with couples, mostly students. Hand in hand, sharing an ice cream and whispering sweet nothings, they will catch your eye in and around the stalls.

The fair’s proximity to the educational institutions and easy permission (from home) to flip through books are prompting students to leave behind classes for a few blissful hours.

Being hounded out by men in uniform is not a concern here. The only witnesses are representatives at the various bookstalls, and they are definitely not complaining.

The large contingent of couples is not a hurdle to their business but a boon.

Mahesh Shukla, a sales executive at the Prabhat Prakashan stall, told The Telegraph: “I spot at least 50-100 couples at my stall daily. They prefer coming to the book fair as they can hardly be identified in the crowd. Even if they are, they can always say they had come to buy a book with a friend. But, if they are spotted at a restaurant or a park, they always have the fear of being identified as lovebirds.”

For 19-year-old Shweta Singh (name changed), an undergraduate, the book fair is undoubtedly the best place to spend quality time with her boyfriend.

“I told my mother that I would come home late today as I had to buy a book. I told her I could get it at the book fair. She accepted my reason and did not question me even once. Had I given her any other reason for being late, I would have been bombarded with a thousand questions. That could have placed me in an uncomfortable position, as I would have to think of a suitable answer for each,” said Shweta.

Off the sticky wicket, Shweta happily perused a book of shayari at the Vani Prakashan stall with her boyfriend.

Ratan Kumar, an official at the stall, said 40 per cent of the visitors to the fair are couples. “Every other day, I see groups of girls arriving at the book fair. Once their partners arrive, they disperse in different directions,” added Kumar.

If you are still not convinced, ask the man guarding the entrance to the book fair, Kaptan Singh. He would tell you footfall of couples at the fair is high indeed.

So, if you want to check the crowd, or escape into it for some quality time of your own, rush to Gandhi Maidan before Saturday.