Sharbelle Fernandez writes: With a coffee mug in my hand, I gaze at the evening sky, where frothy clouds are painted with shades of orange, grey, and purple. The coconut trees sway gently, moving in harmony with the evening breeze. As the sun gracefully dips below the horizon, embracing the dusk, I bask in Goa’s tranquil beauty and charm. It’s no wonder my parents, Antonio Rodrigo Aguiar and Marjorie Valerie Paiva Lobbo, cherished Goa for her magic and breathtaking beauty.

Nachinola, where I presently reside, is a tiny village situated in the taluka of Bardez, North Goa and is sandwiched between the villages of Moira and Aldona. It boasts of beautiful landscapes and is a birdwatchers’ paradise. The village covers an area of approximately 244.05 hectares. Nachinola lies approximately 16 kilometres away from Goa’s capital, Panjim.

My shift from Hubli, Karnataka, back to Goa, where I was born and raised, makes me nostalgic and opens a floodgate of childhood memories. As I unpack my memorabilia of the years gone by, I find what I am looking for, a shoe-box tied neatly with a faded red satin ribbon. Inside lies a treasure trove of my parents’ love letters. Seventy odd years later, the letters, yellowed with age and partially devoured by termites, still stand as a testament to their profound love story. Out of the hundreds of letters Mum Marge wrote over the span of six years, only fifty or so survived the termites’ assault—Dad’s, only three. A few black-and-white photographs from their wedding album, tucked among the letters, have also endured the passage of time.

I look at the letter in my hand and caress its flimsy pages. Though my parents are no longer living, I sense their spirits still lingering between these pages through their beautiful handwriting and eloquent words. These letters are cherished reminders of a love story gone by and a saga waiting to unfold. Their story starts in the summer of 1950, a few years after India gained Independence from the British. Dad, Rodrigo, lived in Fontainhas, Goa, in the famous Latin Quarters situated in Panaji, now well known for its rich heritage. At that time, Goa was still under Portuguese rule. This was a period of uncertainty and unrest as India had gained independence from the British rule in 1947 and was now keen to take over Goa. For over a decade, India tried diplomatic efforts to convince Portugal to leave, but Portugal refused, considering Goa an integral part of its own country.

My mother, Marge, lived in Hubli (now Hubbali), in the state of Karnataka, which was part of India. Hubli had a huge railway junction, making it a bustling trade and transport hub where many Anglo-Indians had settled. Her upbringing was vastly different from Dad’s, yet fate had other plans for them. Their love story began through ink and paper as Dad Rodrigo was an announcer in Emissora de Goa and Mum Marge wrote in with song requests. Their letters give an insight into all their dreams, courtship, trials and tribulations that came along with the package of a long-distance relationship amid the political upheaval between India and Portuguese Goa. Their story is more than just words on fragile pages; they are a bridge to the past, a testimony to a love that survived despite the odds.

All credit goes to the good old pen and paper for bringing these two souls together through the letters that they exchanged over the years. How true the Chinese proverb is, “the faintest ink is more powerful than the strongest memory.”

In my humble opinion, their story will be far more engaging, if it is written in the third person voice rather than the first. As I guide you through their journey, I do hope it brings back memories of an era gone by. This is a book of memories and some oral history. You may find a few errors in my recollection, which are simply a result of my foggy memories as a child.

Contents Contents 4
Prologue 6
Chance Encounters 9
‘Brother’ Aguiar 13
Footballer, Journalist, Poet 19
Signed, Sealed and Delivered 25
A Voice at the Gate 35
The Musical Bond 41
Jealousy... The Green-Eyed Monster 50
Shock Waves on Air Waves 60
The ‘Spy’ Who Loved Marge 71
The Pain of Parting 89
I’ll Be Loving You, Eternally 93
Memories of a Happy Family 99
Eternal Slumber 114
Widow at 39 120
At a Poor Boys’ Home 127
Their Pets, Their Therapy 141
Sibling Rivalry 150
The Empty Nest 154
Letters from Three Generations 160
Grief and Silent Tears 173
Walking Back in Time 179