SITI Soendari, Maria’s close friend since their youth, could never understand how Maria felt about men. When it came to her relationships with men, Maria preferred to keep her feelings deeply hidden. Unlike Soendari, who was often deeply moved by matters of the heart, Maria focused most of her attention on her studies. “I’ve never seen her cry. We’ve never shared personal stories with each other, as two young women who are so close usually do,” Soendari told Gadis Rasid, author of Maria Ulfah Subadio, Pembela Kaumnya (Maria Ulfah Subadio, Defender of Her People).
As she admitted to Gadis Rasid, while studying in the Netherlands, Maria felt she wasn’t ready to deal with romantic relationships. “So, upon her return to Indonesia, she began to open up to men,” wrote Gadis Rasid. Among Maria Ullfah’s many fellow activists and admirers, there were three men who were closest to her and harbored feelings that went beyond mere camaraderie among fellow activists. They were Adnan Kapau Gani, Hindromartono, and Santoso Wirodihardjo.
Regarding Adnan Kapau Gani, Maria said, “A handsome young man who had once been a movie star, was the most flamboyant of the three.” Speaking to Gadis Rasid, Maria continued her description of Gani: “His behavior was a bit reckless, and his manner was straightforward, without any beating around the bush.” He was so confident he would win Maria’s heart that one day he came to Kuningan to celebrate Eid with the family of Regent Mohammad Achmad, Maria's father. Maria tactfully explained to Gani that she felt nothing special toward him. During the revolution, Gani served as Military Governor of South Sumatra, Minister of Economy in the Sjahrir III Cabinet, and Deputy Prime Minister in the Amir Sjarifuddin Cabinet.
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