Taplejung/Damak, Feb 14:

The mobile network is on the blink. Transport services are at a halt and the bazaars are closed. The Internet also is not working. Result? No mushy SMS, no flowers, exchange of gifts or chance of meeting the beloved. This year, Valentine’s Day turned into an utter disaster for hordes of starry-eyed youngsters in Taplejung and Jhapa districts and other parts of eastern Nepal and the Tarai region.

The indefinite bandhs called by various agitating groups in eastern Nepal and the Tarai put paid to these youngsters’ hopes of celebrating Valentine’s Day with joie de vivre. Cut to the quick by the existing state of affairs, Anisha of Damak in Jhapa district said, “There was no chance of an outing or the possibility of travelling anywhere. I gave my Valentine message over the local FM radio.”

Diehard romantics tried every trick in the book to make their mobile phones work, even to the extent of climbing hilltops so that the network would function. Others hung around disconsolately outside STD booths and shops, hoping these would open and that they would get a chance to use the landlines for sending Valentine messages, but to no avail.

Dinesh Limbu, who came all the way from Sawadin VDC of Taplejung district to buy flowers and gifts for his beloved, found all shops in the bazaar closed. Chagrined, he returned home. Naresh Neupane of Damak 14 in Jhapa district shot out of bed at 4 am in this biting cold to send Valentine messages to his beloved in Biratnagar. Alas, the mobile network in Jhapa was on the blink since yesterday morning. Scores of young lovers who had been hoping it would be restored by today were disappointed to the very marrow. “There was no means of contacting her, all I could do was to remember her from the depths of my heart,” said Naresh.

Jhapa’s Domukha, Ilam district’s Fikkal, Kanyam and other picnic spots wore a deserted look and were devoid of young couples, thanks to the transport strike. Ranbir Rai of Domukha said, “Due to the transport strike, not a single young couple reached here.” Domukha, Fikkal, Kanyam and other picnic spots used to be jampacked with young lovers every Valentine’s Day.

Damak-based Pathibhara FM radio programme hostess Prajita said that bandhs and transport strike had had a deep adverse impact on this year’s Valentine Day. “Many youngster sent their love messages over FM radio and complained that they were deprived of the chance to give gifts and presents to their beloved.”

Meanwhile, Nepal Telecom Taplejung office chief Shatrughan Chaudhari said problems in telephone services cropped up as the Kathmandu-Biratnagar link was broken.