Esha's recollections of some episodes of her life, as narrated to Nirodbaran in Bengali, who translated it in English. This is presented here in form of a book.
Sri Aurobindo : Contact
Nirodbaran on Esha's story : Esha, the late Dilip Kumar Roy's niece, was a little girl visiting the Ashram when I came to know her through my niece Jyotirmoyee with whom she had become very friendly. She wanted to settle in the Ashram, but her mother did not want it as she was still a minor. When after many years she came to the Ashram again and stayed with Sahana Devi, I became more closely acquainted with her. By that time she had already married and obtained her divorce and had decided to settle here. I came to her help and made all possible arrangements for the purpose. Since then I have come to know her well and listened to her narration of the incidents of her life. As I found them interesting I began to note them down and was thinking of publishing them in Mother India when somehow she got wind of it and strongly objected to it. As I felt I had Sri Aurobindo's sanction for it, I did not listen to her. In spite of my disregarding her objection, luckily she did not stop recounting her saga. Of course she narrated it in Bengali and later I put it down in English as faithfully as I could. When the story began to appear in Mother India, she insisted more than once that I should stop it. My answer was that I believed it could be helpful to many readers and that Sri Aurobindo seemed to support me.
THEME/S
Now I shall tell you how I started on a new chapter of my life.
My mother having gone, my son an inexperienced teenager, myself unpractical in worldly affairs, there was not a soul to stand by me. That was when a strange man appeared as if from nowhere and became an integral part of my lonely world. This stranger, by being just a simple human being, was one I could trust entirely and who would fulfill all my needs. I used to call him 'Elder Uncle' জ্যাঠামশাই as we say in Bengali.
His father was a friend of my uncle, Dilip Kumar Roy when they used to study together in the Calcutta Presidency College. They met again when he became a professor at a College in Pune where my uncle had his ashram. Once he told my uncle, "We are going to Calcutta where you have many relatives. We can meet them." He replied, "It's true that I have plenty of them. But I would like you to meet my sister and niece." Consequently they came to our house.
I was, at that time, observing a strict solitude and meeting no one. That day when somebody knocked at my door and I opened it, I saw a number of strangers and at once banged the door in their faces. Naturally they were very much offended, but my mother called them in and had a very friendly chat with them. They went away much pleased. I also became friendly with them later on. The professor went back to Poona, and used to meet my uncle now and then. When he died, Uncle did not go to see his people though he knew of his death. When he was told the news, he told the bringer of the news, "Yes, I know. His spirit came to me and said, 'Dilip, I have lost the key of my room; I don't know how to get out of it.' You go to his place and sing bhajans. That will help him. I'll come later on."
Even now 'Elder Uncle' is my closest friend in Calcutta on whom I depend for all material help.
Home
Disciples
Esha
Books
Share your feedback. Help us improve. Or ask a question.