9.30 AM
Dee looked into the mirror, adjusted her earrings and sat down on the ottoman in front of the mirror.
Raj will be here any minute now. Our first Valentine’s Day, our official first date after a couple of years of ups and downs, break-ups and patch-ups . . . I am so happy, thought Dee.
She got up and looked nervously at herself in the mirror again, glanced at her watch and picked up her new ASUS Zenfone, scrolling through the latest updates from friends. What she was really looking for was an update from Raj.
9.45 AM
Standing in the balcony, Dee glanced up the road, straining for the familiar reassuring beat of Raj’s ancient Royal Enfield Bullet. Silence.
10.00 AM
We were supposed to be off by now, where is Raj? Dee picked up her phone again and looked for any new messages or calls she might have missed. Unable to appear calm anymore, she called Raj. No ring. Only a mechanical voice announcing that the phone is switched off.
Switched off? Why would Raj switch off the phone? Has he forgotten about the date? Well, he could have on any other day, but it is impossible to do anything without coming across Valentine’s Day ad, message, or a display on the 14th of February.
10.30 AM
Still no sign of Raj. I think I will try his number again. “The number you are trying to reach is switched off.“
Dee walked back into her room and crashed on her bed, not worried anymore about her dress and other accessories. She was angry, very angry and the anger swelled up in her eyes and trickled down her cheeks creating clearly visible black tracks.
Did he change his mind about us? He can’t really forget that we were supposed to meet today! Did he have an accident?
Dee called Vik. “Where is Raj?”, she demanded without even identifying herself or a courteous Hello.
“Hunh. He didn’t tell you? He told me he would. He cannot make it today. Said he had to be somewhere else . . . it was a very last minute thing.” explained Vik. “Don’t worry, he will call you.”
He will call me? Now? After I have been waiting like a fool for hours? Yeah, Sure.
Dee cuddled her phone and lay back in her bed, not sure what to feel or how to react.
01.00 PM
The rumble in the pit of her stomach shook Dee out of the trance. She had been fiddling with her phone for more than 2 hours. Completely unaware of the time and the fact that her dear man had stood her up on this important day. Getting angry again, sad, she looked at her Zenfone and thought, You should be my valentine, not that idiot! Why?
Reason 1
I have been calling, surfing, watching amazing videos and playing games, and you are still here with me. You don’t tire and your long battery life doesn’t dump me when I need you most.
Reason 2
You are fast! I can play games, queue videos, chat, and tweet simultaneously without waiting for you to respond. Thanks for not giving me those torturous seconds that would have compelled me to think of Raj.
Reason 3
Your flawless graphics rendering and crystal display make it impossible to take eyes off the screen. Zenfone, you are a savior. The sharp display and amazing colors have dispelled the glum and pepped my mood, thank you.
Reason 4
I have spent hundreds of hours agonizing over the decision about Raj. But you? You were easy to choose. 13 MP camera at that price, I never had to think twice, you were the obvious winner.
Reason 5
I don’t have to worry about your look! No matter when and where you will be, you will always look amazing. And you will never forget. I can tell you of all my chores and tasks. You will never forget what I told you and remind me with flawless efficiency.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8ZdiCDIOqQ
Dee rolled on to her back, closed her eyes and said out loud, “God, tell me why is Zenfone not better that Raj”. Drained, hungry and still angry, Dee fell asleep.