The Amazing Adventures of the Lonely Hearts Club Band

Today was Valentine's Day.
A day when we, the illustrious members of our illustrious club, meet and bemoan our collective lack of romance.
This club includes: My good friends R, D, B, A and yours truly.
Others cannot join because they are either hot or already have/had too much romance in their lives and would simply make us feel bad.

Yet, today was a memorable evening. There was plenty of drama (pun intended!!!). Our play's first act was staged for an audience of one Professor A. Lal. We goofed up. Big time. And then he compliments the Lion's impromptu, says I have no sense of character and that my mouth looks like its always smiling, and that Lucky needs working on. Hence, all but one came away with heavy hearts. I guess I just tried impressing the guy too much. Mesa sad.

After that, we fooled around a bit on the ledge. And then we (i.e. R, Diviani, A and guest Lecturer at the Club Band, the Lion/ Aged Member) thought, "What the heck!!! We love ourselves, don't we? Darn right we do!!!" Therefore, we decided to have a treat, all by ourselves!!! We headed off to one of R's favourite haunts, the "Grub Club" and sat together as a group date. There was terrible music playing, for the terrible couples around( I'm just being mean!!!), but the chicken was good. I raised a toast, hobbit ishtyle, to us, lonely members of the Lonely Hearts Club Band. However, to add salt to our wounded, already-lonely hearts, a candle was placed at our table. A heart shaped candle in a bowl of rose petals. We all sighed, and played with the flame, fearing that this time next year we'd end up the same way. My good friend A, of course, strongly vowed he wouldn't. At the end, after Diviani left after intervention by her mom, and R and the Lion had a little usual spat at leaving-time, the Lion, A and I walked down Southern Avenue having a quiet lonely heart-to-lonely heart, bemoaning our fate and trying to foresee our romantic future. I left the Lion and A, sharing a plate of batata puri at Vivekananda Park.

Things change and things stay the same. Yet another Valentine's Day passes me by and I realize: I'm older than I once was, and younger than I'll be. That's not unusual. A V-Day will come when I don't only get kissed by girls.
Signed-
Sgt. Pepper.