Facebook plays cupid for 77-year-old

Satrughan Prasad Singh, 77, an engineer by profession, left his Ghovghat village in Jamui in 1960s after completing his engineering studies in Kolkata and settled in Germany with his wife. She, unfortunately, died in 2014. Call it destiny or hand of technology, a depressed Singh met 75-year-old German woman Edeltrud Habib on Facebook and developed a friendship with her. That soon morphed into an old-age love story. 

“Soon we fell in love and decided to live as life partners. Now we are married,” said a joyous Singh. Habib’s husband died five years ago. “The marriage ceremony was held in a temple with austerity as per the age-old Hindu rituals on Sunday, and it was attended by his family members and other relatives,” Mahender Singh, a relative of newly-wed Singh, said. Singh retired 16 years ago after he worked for 38 years in Germany while Habib retired from a judicial service. Singh recalled that after their friendship on Facebook, he met Habib at an airport in Germany. 

“I am happy that my family, relatives and others welcomed my decision and helped us to become a couple,” he said. Habib said she would try to learn Hindi and would re-visit Singh’s native place. “I love Indian people, their traditions, culture and heart-warming behaviour,” she said.