India, Feb. 7 -- Valentine's Week kicks off with Rose Day today, and the humble bloom is seeing a sharp spike in costs. It has witnessed a jump of nearly 233% from Rs.30 to Rs.100 in the month of romance. Arun Kumar, a florist in New Friends Colony, shares, "On normal days, a rose costs around Rs.30. But on Rose Day, we sell it for Rs.80. Ab demand hogi toh price bhi badega hi." At Hauz Khas, florist Gautam confirms the price hike, despite other varieties available: "Good-quality roses with bigger stems and better thickness can go up to Rs.100 per piece. Last year, people bought them for around Rs.80. Pehli baar itna price badha hai." He adds that prices feel steeper this year as the wedding season is running parallelly. With more flowers being diverted for decor, fewer roses are reaching mandis, pushing up the rates. The pinch is being felt by Kamla Nagar's student crowd too. "On regular days, students spend Rs.30 to Rs.50 on a rose. Valentine's Week mein bachche bhi zyaada spend karne ke liye flexible ho jaate hain," says florist Rinku. While alternate options like crochet flowers are gaining popularity, he believes that real flowers still win: "Fresh phool ka charm alag hi hota hai." The surge also made its way to quick-commerce apps, where single rose stems offered at 'discounted' rates sold out yesterday....