It was all about love for this couple during Valentine’s Day. Picture by Eastern Projections

Feb. 14: It was a low-key Valentine’s Day celebration in the city today as a chunk of the youth brigade was forced to stay at home for last-minute preparations for their examinations from tomorrow.

Both the High School Leaving Certificate examination and Higher Secondary final examinations in science, arts and commerce streams will commence from Friday. Majority of the educational institutions were closed today, as they had to make seating arrangements for examinees.

“Normally there is a huge rush of students particularly from Cotton College and Handique Girls’ College in our restaurant on Valentine’s Day. Today, the scene was different. The number of students was very few. Some college-goers came in the afternoon,” said an employee of Sun Flower restaurant, the oldest and a popular hangout at Panbazar, close to Cotton College.

The management of several other restaurants shared a similar view. So did the authorities at Nehru Park, Dighalipukhuri park and Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra.

An employee of Dighalipukhuri park said though they had made special arrangements such as a boat ride exclusively for Valentine couples, there were very few takers.

Shopping malls such as Hub, which arranged various events on the occasion of Valentine’s Day, recorded a low footfall. An official of Hub said some working couples have only booked tables at Yellow Chilli to have a candlelit dinner. “But the young crowd was really missing,” he said.

“I stayed at home throughout the day and was busy studying. My girlfriend and I were prepared for this, so it was okay. We met briefly and exchanged Valentine’s Day gifts on Tuesday when both of us went to the college for our admit cards,” Anirban Hazarika, a student of Cotton College, said.

Anirban said it was a difficult day for him as he missed his girlfriend as well as concentrated on studies.

Mausomi Baruah, a commerce student, said: “I told my boyfriend not to disturb me today and told him that we would celebrate Valentine’s Day after exams are over. He is very understanding. Anyway, love is all about sacrifice and I have no regrets that exams spoiled Valentine’s Day celebrations this time.”

Parents sat like hawks to see that the boys and girls stayed home and studied. “Going out a day before exams is out of question. I told my son to forget and concentrate on his studies for tomorrow’s examination. I skipped office merely to check on him and also give him company,” Sangeeta Bordoloi of Chandmari said.

Police were particularly happy as impending exams took the load off their shoulders.