AHMEDABAD: This can turn young grooms green with envy! At 68, a US-based doctor has an option to choose a bride from not less than 152 women, some as young as 21 years, speaking volumes about the rising value of the greenback!

Dr Raman Shah (name changed), a practicing physician in New York, was flooded with proposals after he put out a matrimonial ad. Dr Shah had remained single after an Amdavadi woman he was in love with refused to move with him to the US. He had also lost his parents and two brothers some years ago.

A month ago, Dr Shah approached the Ahmedabad-based NGO that runs a matrimonial service for the elderly."Dr Shah needed a life partner as he couldn't bear the loneliness anymore. We put out an ad saying that a 68-year-old doctor residing in New York needs a bride who is willing to shift to the US. There is no age, caste or religion bar,"said the co-ordinator of the NGO.

And, the response not only surprised the NGO but Dr Shah too. "We had expected around 25-30 responses that too from women aged above 45 or 50 years. But there is a mad rush to marry him. There are 152 women who are keen to marry him and shift to the US," said the coordinator.

The wannabe brides include a 21-year-old Muslim girl from Surat and a Hindu girl from Ahmedabad of the same age.

Surprisingly, a 35-year-old woman from Ahmedabad is even ready to dump her husband if Dr Shah selects her. "Also, there are a few who want a live-in relationship with him," he said.

Dr Shah is planning to come to Ahmedabad in November to tie the knot.