And this is the whole crux of the situation. Is love really equivalent to the amount of money you spend on your loved one, whether it is for that one day, or for your whole life? Can all the things that your love does for you --- the smiles, the care, the attention, the consideration --- be given a dollar or rupee value? Can they really be repaid with a few measly flowers and lunch at the Avari?
      The proponents of Valentine's Day would answer whole-heartedly "yes!" to these questions (do not forget those proponents are usually the chocolate makers, card manufactures, teddy bear growers of the capitalist machine). But I would like to submit that such a proposition is ludicrous in the extreme. Everyone knows that true love has no price, but not in the sense that "nothing is too good for my baby". True love's worth is priceless in that anything materialistic --- even the most costly of presents --- pales in the face of the utter divinity of its gifts.
      So, this valentine's day, go ahead with the flowers and the chocolate and the teddy bears and the cards. I might even give a few myself to the people I love. But bear in mind that the real symbols of love --- kind words, gentle smiles, hugs, kisses --- are available year round, whether you are a pauper or a millionaire. The real riches are those for which no money exchanges hands.