The artist Gopal once asked his geologist friend: "Tell me, Shankar, what kind of bride do you want?" The modest Shankar replied: "I would like her to sing a little, just a little. And I would like her to be beautiful. That's all... Chance brought him together with a girl of rare beauty. But there was a problem: Shivani (that was her name) was from a poor family and had already been betrothed to an unloved but wealthy old man. Upon learning this, Shankar decided to disrupt the wedding and marry Shivani. He was in such a hurry to carry out his sudden decision that he did not even have time to talk to his bride. Talk... Even if he had wanted to, it would not have been possible: it was only after the wedding that he learned of the terrible illness his wife was suffering from...
Dec 1954
