Published on

Of Romance and Sharing

Authors

Dairy Milk turned hundred this year. Apparently,

Throughout history chocolate has been associated with romance and sharing.

Hmm.

Before Playstations and iPods, chocolates were rewards. When I interviewed for my first grade – reciting Ding Dong Bell, (stopping at Tommy Stout) identifying colors counting pens and trying hard not to cry at the sight of the rude man who wore a gown – I got to choose a reward, and picked a Five Star and a Dairy Milk with no fruits or nuts, and even convinced my poor dad that I could eat them all by myself. I liked the Five Star better, maybe because I was a boy. Or just because unlike Dairy Milk it wasn't partitioned into square blocks that somehow made it acceptable for people to ask for a piece or three. Screw that! So much for sharing.

Later in life, chocolates were romantic overtures. Especially Five Star, because all the ads had pretty girls and boys getting together over one. Love letters without chocolate didn't mean much. The ones with chocolate didn't mean much either, but they definitely tasted better. I gave Lavanya a bar of white chocolate from Lindt, once and got informed that it tasted like Horlicks. So much for romance.