Memories of ‘MAMA’

Chandramouli Sengupta

“On the 6th of November, 2023 you had bodily left us, but your soul is present in all of us, since you cannot leave us alone”…

It is crystal clear in my eyes when I first met Mama before my inclusion in this family of in-laws. My husband Saibal Sengupta took me to meet him for the first time at his Salt Lake residence. We had a chat for an hour or two. In the conversation that followed, he totally engulfed me in a spell bound bonding, as if we were known to each other for years. His self prepared tea had left the same unfading flavour on my taste buds.

Each word he spoke came from his inner core. His beautiful words with full of love and compassion penetrated in my neurons like a fresh fragrance of spring days. His father- like gesture always made my world beautiful and blissful. Mama and Mamoni together always made their presence special in our family. Mamoni enjoyed our company very much and she was ready with our feedings and all types of amenities when we were at their Salt Lake house.

In my memory lane Mama will always be present holding a big banquet of different colourful incidents like a wintry sunshine. When he and Mamoni sometimes came to visit us by managing their tight schedule, Mama always carried with him his secret journeys of creation on literature and science. Just after taking a cup of tea with snacks, he would made all our family members sit together and boarded us in his creative journey boat, and unfolded his writings and read to us as well as explained his various views. He demanded our opinion on his writings. When he read out his creation, Mamoni, too, sometimes participated with her opinion. She sat beside him with patience and harmonious gesture.

Introduction of Mama is incomplete without mentioning Mamoni, as she supported all our family members in all wakes of our chaotic episodes of life. Now too, Mamoni is supporting us mentally as well as physically quite a lot.

 Mama and I, when together at our residence, used to go for long walk in the morning. During our long walk he used to talk about various incidents of his life time journey. Sometimes he would make jokes. Among many of which I liked the most was:

Khur Gharsanang, Khur Gharsanang
ChirikChirikPani,
Tomarjamoner Katha
Se to Ami jani…

After making such a joke we used to laugh aloud like an open sky and he really looked beautiful in those gestures.

As I was born and brought in Arunachal Pradesh where my father worked, he wanted to know many experiences of mine, like the life style and food habits of those tribal people with whom my parental family used to mingle for years. Mama used to be highly enchanted when I performed before him the various dance modes and songs of them. Sometimes he asked me to repeat as he enjoyed seeing those dances.

Though Mama and Mamoni did not believe in religious ceremonies, both of them respected our sentiments and participated in our “GrihaPravesh” ceremony at our Sodpur flat and made their presence very touching.

Sometimes my heart cries to see him once again and want to hear his loud call ‘Mou’, his loud laughter, his words “tokey gatta marbo”. But it will never happen again till my existence over here. His treasures of love and affection will be with me forever.

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Vol 56, No. 39, Mar 24 - 30, 2024