From neighbours falling madly in love or young men happily proposing to pretty lasses in buses, the 21st century romance saga has evolved and awakened to love tales far different from our folklore! College canteens are perfect sightings of love-birds sharing a plate of yummy hot samosas or chilling out at a movie theatre enjoying ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.’
Men and women have evolved with time and technology. From Graham Bell’s brilliant invention to Zuckerberg et al’s Facebook, love seems to have grown by bits and bytes. Techie touch! Love letters being a long lost art, young lovers and couples of 21st century have switched to hi-fi gadgets! A simple plugging in to your USB port with a WiFi dongle, and you can communicate to your sweetheart even if you are lost in the Amazonian thick growth. Or you may be in the skies flying to United States or enjoying a camel ride in the Sahara desert!
The shy types find comfort in marriage bureaus, an opportunity to find and mingle with their own kind. With various online matrimonial sites, the task of selecting a suitable life-partner happens with a mere click. A click that lasts for eternity! Or at times, it could turn out to be a big disappointment shattering dreams of Prince Charming.
Gone are the days when man in love would sit at a desk and pour out odes and odes of love for his special woman. Or a woman would wait in anticipation for that single letter from her husband who was working overseas, or for his safe return home after months of hard work.
Face-to-face couple interactions are not feasible in a world where one spouse is working overseas. From smileys to heart shaped emoticons to please modern couples, online chatting and video conferencing has ruled communications worldwide. With their hubbies in far-off lands, the wives seem content with the lifestyles of their choice and the modes of long-distance romancing.
It’s bye-bye to archaic postcards too! Our postmen might feel elated at the thought of e-cards, emails and online invitations reigning supreme.
Even the gifts for loved ones have been revolutionized! From old fashioned hand-made cards and tailored home-wear, modern couples opt for easy buys from gift galleries, gift vouchers, hotel stays, expensive jewelry, branded items, tablets and iPhones ….
With romance on such a techie roll, we are left wondering “What’s up next? Virtual love? Virtual online weddings? Virtual world?”
