‘Un dino, pehli nazar mein pyaar ho jata tha!’, said an 82-year-old gatekeeper of Kuldhara, a haunted village in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer. The gatekeeper, reminiscing his first love, said that it was love at first sight for him and Marina, who had come to Jaisalmer from Australia for a desert safari for five days. He was in his 30s.
Talking about his experience with Humans of Bombay, the gatekeeper said, “It was love at first sight. Throughout the trip, we couldn’t take our eyes off each other. Before leaving for Australia, she said, ‘I love you;’ I went red! Nobody had ever said those words to me. I was so shy; I couldn’t utter a word in response!.
After this, he found himself flying to Australia to visit Marina. He stayed there for three months but was caught off guard when she popped the question to him.
He taught Marina how to do the ‘ghoomar’ and Marina taught him to speak English.
Not ready to leave India, the gatekeeper came back to India and made a family of his own. However, he kept thinking if Marina had gotten married or not.
‘…and then 2 years ago, my wife passed away. All my sons were married and had moved out. And here I was, an 82-year-old man, gatekeeping India’s haunted village.”
“And just when I thought life couldn’t surprise me anymore, it did! A month ago, Marina wrote to me; she asked, ‘How are you my friend?’ After 50 years, she found me! Since then, she calls me everyday; we have so much to catch up on!”
“Ramji ki kasam, I feel like I’m 21 again! I don’t know what the future holds, but knowing that my first love is back in my life & talks to me everyday is a feeling I can’t explain,” the gatekeeper said.
Love truly has no boundaries and this story, an eternal one, is one for the ages.
