Who can predict the unpredictable? I was a non-graduate, earning a modest salary at a bank. Promotions weren’t even on my radar. It was 1967, and I was working in the foreign exchange department, the youngest member there. The department head was a warm, friendly man who took a special liking to me. 

One day, out of the blue, he offered to read my signature and predict my future. I thought it was just a bit of fun, but he surprised me with two bold predictions: “You’ll be promoted at 25, and within a year, you’ll be married.” I laughed it off. With my elder brother and two younger sisters, marriage seemed a distant possibility. 

But, against all odds, both predictions came true. At 24 years and three months, I was promoted. Six months later, I was married. 

The match was suggested by a family acquaintance who thought my father’s two sons—one working abroad and the other in a bank—made good prospects. My elder brother, reluctant to marry, declined to meet any potential matches during his short visit to India. With my mother unwell, the focus shifted to me. 

During a visit to this acquaintance’s house, I caught a brief glimpse of the girl. Soon after, it was decided—within a week, I was married. 

Contd. 361. Half Is Full - Part 2