Sir,

The feature article on novelist “Triveni” in Star of Mysore dated Dec.26, reminded me of an incident almost 70 years back. Here is the episode:

When I was a High School student in 1950s, I had read Kannada classics like Karanth’s “Marali Mannige”, Kuvempu’s “Kanooru Subbamma Heggadathi” and Gokak’s “Samarasave Jeevana.” All these novels were very famous then and described the life of ordinary people of South Kanara, Malenadu and North Karnataka region respectively in 1930s or 40s.

Later I read popular novels by A.N. Krishna Rao, T.R. Subba Rao and Triveni but last named author’s books impressed me the most. Her novels were based on middle class people of Mysuru-Bengaluru area and were psychologically oriented, centred on persecuted women.

Having had the opportunity of interacting with Shivarama Karanth whom my father knew very well, I was very keen to meet with Triveni someday. And in fact an opportunity arrived.

It was in 1960 and I was on holidays from my professional college and was spending my Dasara (or Durga Puja as North Indians would say) holidays in Agra where my father was stationed. It was Sharad Poornima evening and we decided to see the Taj Mahal in moonlight. Though very crowded, we got a good view of the monument at close quarters. There my parents met a friend and his wife and while the two couples exchanged pleasantries, I noticed another young lady standing right behind them. As we were getting into the car, my father told me that the young lady was a close relative of his friend and she was the novelist Triveni!

I cursed myself for not having had the chance of talking to her and ran back inside the Taj Mahal area. Alas, in this rush and semi darkness, I just could not find my father’s friend and Triveni. Thus my wish remained unfulfilled.

– U.B. Acharya, Jayalakshmipuram, 27.12.2019

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