Valentine’s Day groupies would have the world believe that the month of February is tenderly brushed with the colours of romance and passion and the mood is all about love. A record number of proposals, engagements and weddings jostle for dates and venues and when it is a leap year as in 2012, there’s even an extra day at your disposal! Cover couple Genelia D’Souza and Riteish Deshmukh, tying the knot this month, reveal that marriage is a private space and they are still discovering each other. They have always been best friends, love slowly wandered across. In their first interview on the subject, they rewind to their early meetings and reflect on their screen avatars and individual temperaments.

Love actually is a year-round thing that transcends the simplicity (and complexity!) of romance and Verve explores the nuances and invisible threads of relationships of another kind. Three strong-willed women talk about their celebrity siblings and the ties that bind. Alvira Agnihotri is the quiet support behind Salman Khan’s Being Human foundation. Bahar Dutt nurtures an identity distinctly different from didi Barkha and Aradhana Seth acknowledges her brother Vikram’s role in shaping her own aesthetic sensibilities. In an endearing fashion all are fiercely protective about their elder more famous siblings. Lady Natasha Rufus Isaacs and Lavinia Brennan, co-founders of luxury ethical fashion label Beulah London, are unified in their desire to make a difference by providing employment to abused women in Kolkata slums. Their creative partnership flourishes because they revel in the same dreams and inspirations.

Our annual Bollywood Style Awards, as always, highlight the sartorial statements that made an impact on the silver screen in the year gone by. Where costume caressed character in the most effective way. Aayat of Mausam, gentle, innocent in the pale shades of a wintry Punjab, turns to warmer colours as she matures, without losing her sense of rootedness, even as she crosses geographical boundaries. Silk of The Dirty Picture, quite the opposite, bares her sexuality, heaving bosom et al, in garish cholis and sequinned gowns that embellish her world of make-believe. Angst-ridden Janardhan?is garbed in?the way he feels; unfettered, unapologetic, unwashed, not quite the ubiquitous Rockstar.?Couture-conscious Natasha, prim in manner and speech?even carries her designer bag into the bushes on a road trip in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. And our unabashed romance with Hindi cinema continues...

Contributors
	R BURMAN Mumbai-based photographer R Burman is an ace behind the lens, his passion most evident as he comes up with the perfect shot, every time. On his shoot with cover couple Genelia D'Souza and Riteish Deshmukh, he says, "They are cool to work with and extremely easy to strike a rapport with. Genelia and Riteish are simple, no-fuss stars and I thoroughly loved watching their closeness with each other." An element that he has managed to capture so well.
	NORBERT KNIAT Literally straddling the globe as he travels between different cities, lensman Norbert Kniat is known for his shoots in the world of fashion and beauty. Kniat travelled to Matheran for this month's fashion spread and, of the experience, says, "Besides all the fun, Verve gave me the freedom to get my ideas on the picture. We were very focused on the shots and it was pretty easy going, which is an ideal combination."