*Mohin Ali and Muskan Amin, both 18, are studying at a missionary school in Srinagar. They have been in love for the last two years and have big plans for Valentine's Day this year.

*Manzoor and his girlfriend have been together for the last eight years. They had never heard about Valentine's Day until a friend recently enlightened them.

*Surjeet and Vinie have been celebrating Valentine's Day for the last three years, which is just how long they have known each other.

It's almost a perfect Valentine's day in the Valley. It has been snowing since Tuesday and, even now, it is just a light drizzle that mars the atmosphere. Despite the fear, tension and trauma that marks the youth of Kashmir, Valentine's Day is slowly but surely gaining a following in what has been dubbed 'the most romantic spot on Earth.'

Kashmir, at one time, used to be India's favourite honeymoon destination during any season; its good-looking, charming, hospitable residents were added attractions. But the Kashmiris themselves are not given to overt expressions of love. They don't roam around holding hands, kissing or displaying any other signs of romantic attention. The meetings are more surreptitious -- at times in the Mughal Gardens and mostly in restaurants in winter. Even here, the couple keep their distance from each other.

Yet, this year, many young people were spotting thronging shops to buy romantic cards and gifts for their loved ones.

"Valentine's Day cards have sold very well in the past week," says a rather pleased-looking Ghulam Hassan, who owns a card gallery in the city's posh locality, Raj Bagh. "Last year, I couldn't finish my cards. But, this year, I have already run out of stock."

"Five years ago," adds a salesman at Geeco Stationers, "there was no concept of cards or of celebrating this day. So we would not stock special gifts or any such items. Now, though, we are doing good business." There were 18 teenagers in the shop -- mostly girls -- who were browsing though the Valentine's Day cards.

Some youngsters, though, preferred to design their own cards -- the comparatively subdued Valentine's greetings available in Kashmir were not, probably, strong enough to express their feelings. "We are getting a lot of teenage customers," says Sheikh Aijaz, an instructor at a computer centre, "who want to design cards according to their choice."

It is a trend that is increasingly making restaurant owners happy. "Couples often come to my restaurant, exchange gifts and ask my boys to play fast music," says the owner of Samci, a fashionable restaurant on Residency Road.

A waiter at the Hustle and Bustle restaurant adds, "On February 14, about seven to 10 couples come here and exchange cards and gifts. They order one kanti (mutton fried with onions) plate and one cup of coffee and share it. They sit here for a long time."

rediff.com did meet one girl -- she refused to give her name -- who was against the celebration of Valentine's Day. "This is a part of Western culture," she protested. When told there were a lot of couples who waited eagerly for this day, she said: "They should not be allowed to celebrate it."

Given the conservative background which Kashmiri teenagers come from, social scientists differ in their reasoning behind this growing trend. "This is the result of the strong influence of satellite television, which has invaded the privacy of the homes here as well. Also, the struggle for upward mobility cannot be ruled out," says the head of the sociology department at the Kashmir university.

However, others like Dr Amin Peerzada, who is also part of the same department, attributes it to the continued bloodbath and suppression that these young people constantly see around them. "These kids have seen violence and turmoil for most of their life, say for the last 10, 15 years at least. Romanticism may be a kind of escape for them," he contends.

In fact, a good number of teenagers have been seen visiting the two churches in the city for some time now. These kids, who carry candles, say they do it for peace.

Meanwhile, as pro-Hindu organisations continue protesting violently against the celebration of Valentine's Day in the rest of the country, the youth in Kashmir are slowly beginning to embrace the custom. It is a trend that has found no objection among the militant groups that dot the Valley.

Also read: 'We will not allow anyone to observe Valentine's Day'

Illustration and design: Dominic Xavier

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