On different perspectives

Obviously Valentine's Day is a special day reserved for showing all the love and passion among couples, friends, parents and children and dogs etc. But the impact it has on most people is definitely not the same.

For those about to fall in love
This feeling is about those people who are falling or about to fall in love. You have that special someone whom you are smitten by just one simple glance. Your heartbeat becomes ten times faster than its normal rate whenever you meet him/her. You want to spend more time with your crush and do not lose a single opportunity in complimenting him/her. Well folks then 14th February is a great day for you to express your feelings to that person. Take your crush out for coffee. Buy something that he/she would actually like. It's better to do everything subtly and to avoid going overboard with too much emotions. But before you really ask him/her out it will help to be quite sure about how your crush feels about you. You seriously don't want any uncomfortable situations later on!

For those who have been in love for a while
Already going out or have been in a steady relationship for a couple of years? For these people I personally don't believe that you'd need a Valentine's Day to celebrate your love. Everyday for you should be a Valentine's Day! Nevertheless, in order to go with the flow, you could have multiple dates in which you can bring all your friends along with their significant others. It can get loud and you might not have any private time together but trust me it will not be short of fun. “The more the merrier” they always say.

Those of you who constantly bicker with each other can give your arguments a respite and be nice to each other for a change. Try to relive the moments of your past and think that you've recently fallen in love. Just feel the difference after you do that! You can turn the fate of your relationship and start off with a new angle.

For married couples
Married couples might take Valentine's Day as a childish game and a ploy of the card shops to rob money. Well I'd suggest that you think over this again. You might have many responsibilities and such but you do need a time off with your significant other who truly deserves it. Try being young once and trust me you'll simply love it! Take your partner out for dinner to a nice and cozy restaurant or if you're a bit short of money you could have a romantic candlelight dinner on your terrace. Watch a movie or read together late in the night.

For long-distance lovers
I can actually sympathize a lot with you people as 14th Feb. can be a day when you'll be longing to meet each other. Seeing all the love-birds around you, it is natural that you might get depressed. I'd suggest you not to be so gloomy on such a romantic day! Make the best of every moment of the day with your partner and try to talk with him/her for longer hours. If that's not possible then take a hike with your single friends and enjoy the day with them.

For those who've just gotten over a relationship
You guys hate Valentine's Day from the deepest (!) depths of your hearts. You want to smother all those couples out there. You cry, you shout, you scream and wonder why you were the unlucky one. I'd say that this is the day to start afresh and get over your past relationships. What is gone is gone and there'll be no use in thinking about them. Think of it as if it happened for your own good. Maybe you guys were never fit for each other and before you got more hurt it is good that you separated earlier. So what's the remedy when you're a sufferer of the broken-heart syndrome? Hanging out with friends and family of course! Try living your life according to your own wish and think how this would've been hampered if your significant other was still with you. You are going to love the freedom!

For those in search of love
And now we come to the end of the list. You want to be in love but have not found the right person. You feel envious of all those guys and gals who are not at all better looking than you are but still got great looking partners. Well personally there's nothing for you to be unhappy about. You guys are probably one of the happiest bunch of the lot. You can dream, hope and wish without any regrets or longings for one particular person. Enjoy being single while you still have the chance!

By Faria Sanjana

5 Tips to the perfect proposal

Wondering how to turn that elusive no from your crush to a definite yes? If there is a special someone in your life that you'd want to officiate, there's no better day to do it than on Valentine's Day; you gain automatic brownie points for just doing it on the most romantic day of the year. Nowadays both girls and guys do the asking so the following are for both genders although you can be sure that the tips for guys are more dependable seeing as how I hail with direct experience from the female clan. That said, there are absolutely no guarantees every person is different and it depends on how well you know the person to make your proposal a sure fire

1. Be friends no one would feel comfortable going out with a complete stranger. If you're already friends with the person, that's good and if not, well then start as soon as you can! The longer you've been friends, the more likely he/she would respond favourably unless he/she looks at you as a brother or sister! This way the both of you get to know each other's personalities, interests, friends and style better and feel comfortable opening up.

2. Break the ice if the two of you already have a habit of talking, you can easily find out about each other's relationship history and what not. There have been plenty of instances where at first the person seems like 'the one' but turned out later to be a stone's throw away from a psychopath/maniac/compulsive loser. After you're sure about your decision, make your first move at least a few months after you get to know him/her.

3. Work your magic the first move mentioned before involves dropping a few hints here and there, at the right places, so the significant person starts to realize that you have the hots for him/her. The reaction of the person may be favourable and even if its not, there's no need to worry. Keep on pursuing him/her and as time passes by, do things that cement the fact you like him/her. For e.g.: if it's his/her birthday, buy something you think he/she might like and wrap it in her/his favourite colour. Do something sweet for the other person like helping with work but do it subtly. Call the person but not so much or regularly that he/she gets annoyed but just so it seems like you're just calling to say hi or checking up on him/her. He/she will be bound to notice your quiet attachment; action always speaks louder than words.

4. Make sure that the person likes you! No matter how well prepared you are for your 'perfect' proposal; there is really no use if the person doesn't like you or can't stand you! Save yourself some face and ask in advance from close friends of your own and of the other person's whether you think you have a chance. Chances are you probably already know if there is a special vibe or not between you two as you're already friends. One thing to mention is that to you can't expect a positive answer in just one day, you have to work for it and that takes time. So make sure you start planning way ahead from V-day. If you have to, save these tips for next year.

5. Plan the proposal it's not just a simple question for many; it's one of the hardest things one has to do. If you're confident that your steady attention is breaking the person's exterior and he/she has begun to have a soft corner for you, than start planning how you will pop the question and where as these are very important criteria. Do it somewhere you think the both of you will feel comfortable to say whatever you have to with enough time. Don't rush things. It's nice if you do it at a place if you have some special memory like where you first had ice cream together and then later tie it in but it's up to you. Get your or his/her friends to help get that certain someone away long enough to be with you. You could accompany the proposal with a small gift like flowers or an accessory or a treat later on and here you have to be creative say what you really think about the other person and try not to make anything up. Don't forget to dress to kill. Just don't go over the top and do it in a fairly private place. He/she will appreciate the thought you've out into the whole deal, especially on Valentine's Day, and hopefully will say yes without a thought.
Good luck!

By Nisma Elias

The success of this scheme was fairly evident in the results of a mental arithmetic competition hosted by Aloha India in Chennai recently. The challenge was to complete 50 arithmetic problems in 5 minutes time.

Out of a total of 2500 participants between ages 6 and 14, ten students from Aloha Bangladesh took part, and of these, two students secured the first position, one secured the 1st runner-up and another the 2nd runner-up in different categories.

For more information,
check out the website http://www.alohabangladesh.com

Frost in red

I closed the lock on the window
I closed both blinds and turned away
Blue and white all over me
But no magical words to spell it away
I was talking to myself about you
Wrangling with my soul to believe what I see
But what is it that makes me hold on
Are you really the one that I thought you to be?
I never had the vision of being so different
But you are the one who changed everything
Never came across the paradox you held
Maybe it is the secret inside every being
So short a time
So much to know
So much to believe
So much to show
How do I outwit the storm raging inside me?
How will you reveal your purity inside?
How will I accept your blinds of black cloud?
How do I face the lie you hide?
Perfection is not what I look for
But treachery is not what I expect
Why have I started caring for you?
I don't even know whether I have the right to inspect
You came with nothing but gave me all your colours
Said nothing but took off my precious stone
Are you really worth possessing my treasures
How do I grope the answer all alone?
Open the veil and reveal the truth
Let's turn our time together to a blessing
I am waiting to grab your hands and let go all the fears
Let us not end our new beginning

By Afrida Mahbub

Bliss

I can hear her steps
With a rhythm full of grace,
It's like raining outside
I feel giddy inside
When, because of me, she smiles.
The smile on her face
I hope it never subsides
Because it's the thing I'll never forget
In my waking hours and even when
I close my eyes.
Thousands of miles
Away she lives.
In a world full of her
The day gives,
A bliss that relieves
Of the boredom I'm surrounded by.
This bliss will stay
Forever, henceforth,
This Valentine's Day.

By Sujash Islam