Voxpop: Celebrating colors of love

Though love is an emotion everyone feels, its perception and meaning may vary from one person to another. The same feeling can be felt, understood, and dealt with in many beautiful ways. On the occasion of Valentine's Day, NepalNews talked to different couples about their beliefs about love and relationships. As the world celebrates love today, here is what couples of Nepal have to say about love.

Mankumari Rai and Laden Sangbo Lama

After falling in love in the year 1967, we finally got married in 1974. After fifty-five years of being together, we believe that the most important factor to keep a relationship alive is love. Both partners should be willing to sacrifice and compromise accordingly during various situations. My husband and I both believe that other than love, relationships stand on these pillars: trust, faith, respect, and honesty. If you work on these things, your relationship will grow stronger and deeper.

Supun Dahal and Niraj Adhikari

Although we have been together for about 7 and a half years, Niraj and I moved in together in January last year. We are currently living in Waco, Texas as I go to university here and Niraj works from home. Having a partner in a foreign land is comforting enough but living together is definitely more wonderful. We certainly have learned more things about each other after living together than we did in six years. I have begun to understand Niraj on a deeper level. All relationships have challenges and require compromises and hard work. Both Niraj and I feel that living together and knowing your partner for their true self before jumping into a commitment to last forever is a very practical decision. It may not work for everyone but it's high time Nepali society keeps an open mind.

Prabin Khanal and Kelsang Dorjee

Both me and my boyfriend Kelsang feel blessed to be surrounded by people who are supportive of us. We have been together for around 7 months now, and we are very lucky to be able to express our love for each other so openly. However, things aren't the same outside our safe spaces. I resonate with people who are afraid to go on dates openly in Nepali society. Being queer is still not normalized in our society. Although we’re used to getting looks from others by now, people still stare at us and make us feel unsafe. But despite the challenges, never stop fighting for what you love. It is important to be aware that your rights are protected by the Nepal Government.

Mahima Shrestha and Abhishek Chitrakar

When we started dating about 6 and a half years ago, we were just 16 years old. Growing older and experiencing life together is a beautiful experience. There probably were people who talked behind our backs saying we would not last long as we started young. However, neither I nor Abhishek has ever cared what people or society thinks of us. This may be a reason why we personally faced no problems dating publicly since we were teenagers. For a relationship to blossom, trust between partners is extremely important. Your priority should always be to listen to your partner rather than outsiders. Our relationship has always been this way and we continue to move forward like so, enjoying every moment together.

Pumi Shakya and Sanjiv Shakya

My husband and I have been married for 18 years. It was an arranged marriage. We have a happy married life and a beautiful family. Because our families arranged our marriage, we did not have to face many conflicts because of similar cultural values. The current generation doesn’t seem to be quite open to arranged marriages anymore. Though it may have its cons, there are equal amounts of pros to arranged marriage too. It is definitely not as bad as people think. Arranged marriages might not be everyone’s cup of tea. But it still is an effective way to find love.

Binju Kattel and Ashbin Khatiwada 
My husband and I are firm believers that we can make every day Valentine’s day. We have been married for almost four years now. Before that, we fell in love and were in a relationship for 7 years. The only promise we have till today is to communicate and solve problems in the relationship by communicating. Another thing one should keep in mind is to never judge their partner based on a third person’s opinion. Communication and trust between couples help the bond become stronger.

Aayush Mishra

As a single guy, I plan on celebrating the day of love by spending time with my close friends. I or the people around me do not feel pressured to be with someone special to celebrate Valentine’s Day due to which it does not feel like I'm missing out on something significant. I understand that not all single people have the same approach to Valentine’s Day as me. It is important to realize that you will meet your better half and things will fall into place when the time is right. Anyways, Valentine’s Day is about celebrating love. Spend time with your loved ones, go to dinner with your friends. Make the best out of the day of love!