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Whip up some togetherness. Baking a rich chocolate cake for Valentine’s Day or putting together a traditional meal, being partners in the kitchen is a great way to bond with your mate. Take care to avoid complicated recipes that could make the activity stressful. Keep it simple and pay as much attention to your guy as to the simmering pot on the stove!

Plan a weekend trip. Family holidays are great, but sometimes it’s important for you and your partner to take off for a mini-break, minus the children. From Bengaluru, escape to the serene and green Coorg; Mumbaikars can relax on the clean beaches of Murud-Janjira or try paragliding at Kamshet over the weekend. 

Give each other a back rub. What’s the one thing that no one in their right minds should say no to? You guessed it! Especially if it is from the person you love (and you don’t even have to pay)! Possible anywhere, anytime (no equipment required): on the couch, in front of the TV, while lazing on the bed and who knows one thing might lead to another? Try as often as you can!

Write letters to each other. There’s nothing better you’d like to hear from your partner than how they feel about you years from now. Mail to each other pretending you are in the year 2020. Keep in mind your ages then; and be funny and romantic. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry and you’ll love all over again. Best of all, this’ll be a promise of being together forever!

Read humorous verses. Reading together, can be lovely. Poetry and humour work particularly well. We think American poet Ogden Nash combines both. Get a volume of his poetry or read his gems online. Best on Sunday evenings to get over your Monday morning blues.

Play ball at the park. Get sporty with a Frisbee or a rugby ball and you will discover it’s genuine good fun! Don’t worry about the neighbours: start after a morning walk or early evening and give each other a tough game. Improve your agility and get a whole body exercise. You will burn at least 200 calories in half an hour and pump feel-good hormones!

Watch your favourite films together. Funny films, romantic films-Woody Allen’s best: Annie Hall, New York Stories; musicals: My Fair Lady, Sound of Music and romance: Notting Hill, Before Sunrise-take your pick and settle down on a weekend night with your DVD player. Super fun, even better bonding!

List your dreams/ goals together. Don’t postpone them or let them die. If there’s a dream that you have-individually or together-make it happen. Put aside a day when you can sit and make a plan. Discuss timelines and put down prerequisites. If it means a big step like a career shift or moving to another city or raising funds put down what it takes.

Rejuvenate at a couple spa. Getting an invigorating massage and soothing herbal treatments at a luxury spa is the ideal gift for stressed-out city couples. When you rejuvenate together, both of you have ample energy for good holiday sex! Try on your anniversary at a day spa in your city.

Learn a new skill. Rope in your partner when you enroll for a hobby class. Learn to dance, try your hand at pottery or glass painting, sharing any learning experience with your mate will bond you not only during the activity, but also become a common point of interest forever.

Enjoy an old-fashioned candle-lit dinner. Some things, like this one, will never go out of style. There’s nothing quite like the experience of sharing a satisfying meal with your partner at an elegant, alfresco diner. The starlit sky, gentle breeze and the warm glow of the candlelight will create magic. Get a good bottle of wine and let the evening flow!

Look at old albums or cards. Curl up inside a blanket looking at old photo albums (remember them?) or downloads from your camera some years back that you never printed. Take out the box where you had put away the cards and the notes you had exchanged when you first met! You will re-live the love and renew your promises. Try on any night on the month you first met.

Play a board game together. Who says board games are meant for children on a rainy day? Bring out your old Scrabble board, racks and tiles and test your word power against your partner’s. Whether you bag a triple-word score or face a penalty, it will be a win-win situation all the way! Try Taboo as a variation. Great on Sunday afternoons.

Go for a walk/cycling. Be it a leisurely stroll in the park or a power walk on the tracks, time spent with your partner is time well spent. Game for something more? Then, go biking together. You will have unbridled fun and burn substantial calories to boot (4 calories a minute!). Go for it now!

By Kathakoli Dasgupta