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
My astrologer had made a prophecy that a Westerner would stand as a witness in my case and his evidence would help me win it — as actually did happen. But the strange thing was also his other prediction that this man was in love with me! More than a year later, one of the Jesuit Fathers, a Belgian by birth, whose evidence in court helped me win my case, appeared in my house. I was very much surprised at his unexpected visit. I introduced him to my mother. He said something in English which my mother could not catch.
However, he opened his heart to me and said that he wanted to marry me since he loved me. I felt as if I had fallen from the sky! I could not believe my ears. When he asked for my consent, I had to say, "I'm sorry, I don't love you. I am a Hindu woman; to me my dharma is higher than everything else. Besides, you are a priest and have remained a bachelor for so many years. If you marry me, you will lose everything, your dharma, your karma etc."
He replied, "That matters little. I have enough property in my country. I don't need to depend on any job."
"But," I replied, "property, happiness are not everything. There are things of higher value in life. You will have to lose your priesthood for my sake. That will be a great sin and I shall be the cause. We shall never enjoy a happy life. Forgive me, please, for my — ."
"Oh," he interrupted, "that's all right." He accepted my refusal so calmly that I myself was surprised. While leaving he told my mother, "Your daughter — ." I could not catch the rest.
A few years later, my Elder Uncle asked me if I could help the son of a friend of his to get admission in the St. Xavier's School. I agreed and took the boy to the School. That Father had then become the Principal. As soon as he saw me he extended eagerly his two hands towards me and, on hearing the reason of my visit, he was at once ready to admit the boy. "But," I said, "he is a very ordinary boy."
"That does not matter," he replied.
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