Childhood-V

Baba's grandfather Shri Jnanendranath Ray (Dadi) built a house at Circus Avenue, Calcutta. Baba had to depart from his foster mother, Didi and move to the new house along with his Dadi, Mama, Mami: Shri Prashant Kumar Ray and Smt. Sailabala Ray. Didi had moved into the official residence of her elder son Shri Mani Ray. who was now the Chief Engineer of Calcutta Corporation. Baba missed his two soulmates Didi and his cousin brother Shri Shishir Ray. Till Didi was alive, every Friday evening his nurse Bhagirathi would take him to his uncle's residence so that he could spend the weekend with his Didi and Shishir Da and return home on Sunday evening.

On one such bone-biting cold Sunday evening of December, Bhagirathi was cycling Baba back to Circus Avenue, when he wheeled into a pothole that was not visible in the dark. Before he could apply breaks and balance its handle, both Bhagirathi, Baba and the cycle fell on the street. Without bothering about himself, Bhagirathi rushed to pick up Baba, checked whether he was injured from the fall. Picked up the cycle. Gently placed Baba on the cycle and reached home before the family would worry about their delay in returning home from Mani Ray's residence, The minor accident became a source of amusement for both Baba and Bhagirathi. In leisure, they would reminisce the incident, discuss the variations in the way they fell on the street; imagine the comic reaction of imaginary onlookers as well as that of Dadi and Mama Babu and burst in peels of laughter until their stomach would hurt! Once Bhagirathi humorously suggested Baba should ride his tricycle to Didi's house for the weekend and return home on it. That made Baba jump up with sheer joy and excitement and offered Bhagirathi a ride on his tricycle!

It is a child's fantasy to ride cycle, drive a car, sail a boat, fly an aeroplane and other means of transport that they see the people travel by. Such fantasy roused Baba's fascination for toy cycle, cars, planes, ships. While they were living in the house at Parsee Bagan Lane Dadi got a tricycle for Baba. It was the most wonderful gift Baba had ever received. He would spend most of his time cycling around the house, and imagine he was speeding up and down the streets of Calcutta to imaginary places on his tricycle. His tricycle would help him reach to imaginary destinations of his imaginary world.

The family would spend Summer, Dussehra(Durga Puja) vacations and long weekends at Hazaribagh. Come Summer and Baba would head for Hazaribagh with Dadi, Mama, and Mami. They would spend the summer in Hazaribagh and return before the law courts would reopen after their summer break. On one such visit to Hazaribagh, Baba insisted to take his tricycle with him. Dadi relented to his grandchild's wish and the tricycle was shifted to Hazaribagh and became an integral part of the house there. While riding the tricycle in Hazaribagh, Baba would imagine the cycle transforming into a boat and sailing across the Barakar River and fly above the adjacent forest and Baba would imagine enjoying its panoramic view while making sounds of the animals in the forest along with the sound of the aircraft's engines humming while flying in the sky.

While the family was living in the house at Parsee Bagan Lane, Baba's Dadi had built the house in Saria Hazaribagh and named it Charu Villa in loving memory of his wife Smt. Charubala Ray.

Floor plan or blueprint of Charu Villa in Hazaribagh.

Unlike the children of his age, Baba did not fancy wooden rocking horse or swing. He wanted a peddle car in place of his tricycle. Dadi got him a peddle toy car.

Baha's Mama, Shri Prashant Kumar Ray photographed him driving his toy car a gift from his Dadi,

On  Baba's birthday, my Grandfather Shri Ajit Kumar Sen gifted his son, Baba, with a toy peddle car. Baba would zoom in, out and around their house at Parsee Bagan Lane in his brand new toy car. Baba would flaunt his toy car to his uncle Dhiren Ray, who would pretend to be jealous of Baba. He would jokingly complain to Baba's Dadi that Baba now had two cars while he had only one old car. How he used to drive Baba in his car. Now that Baba had two brand new cars, yet he did not drive his uncle in any of them! Gullible Baba would try his best to convince his uncle that he was too big to fit into his car, all the more his uncle Dhiren Ray would feign being hurt and ignored by his beloved nephew! One day, exasperated Baba got out of his toy car and offered it to his uncle Dhiren Ray. This made his uncle laugh out loud. He picked up his nephew, placed him in his toy car and asked him to park his toy car beside his uncle's car in the garage. 

When the family shifted to their new address 4/1. Circus Avenue(brown colour double-storeyed house in the sketch), Calcutta. Toy peddle car went along with them.

One fine day, Shishir Da visited Baba at Circus Avenue along with his cousin sister, Anita. When she saw Baba's toy peddle car, she wanted to drive it. Baba tried his best to keep her away from his toy car until Dadi intervened and had the girl drive the car around the house. Baba's reaction is quite evident in the photograph his Mama Shri Prashant Kumar Ray clicked of Baba standing beside his toy car with his cousin sister Anita in the car.

With time, Baba also experienced a change of heart! He became a proud brother to his uncle Prashant  Kumar Ray's daughter Smt, Shipra Gupta nee Ray. He was a caring and loving brother to his kid cousin sister. He would often ask when she would be big enough to drive his toy car. Baba is seen in the photograph with his cousin sister Smt. Shipra Gupta nee Ray.

It was a red toy peddle car which was later coloured blue.

The toy peddle car now had two drivers, Baba and his sister Smt, Shipra Gupta nee Ray and soon enough a new member joined their team. Baba's second cousin sister and Smt. Shipra Gupta's younger sister Smt. Nandita Ray. In the photograph kid, Nandita Ray is seated beside Baba and Shipra Gupta nee Ray is standing beside them.

My grandfather, Shri Ajit Kumar Sen, who was a lawyer by profession, but decided not to practice it instead taught and was the Principal of Paddapukur Institution, Calcutta. After my grandmother Smt. Sailabala Sen nee Ray's death, he used to live in a mess (Working Men's Hostel) and often would bring Baba, his son, over to his room in the mess. After spending the day visiting places of tourist interest in and around Calcutta, he would bathe and feed Baba and then enjoy an afternoon nap. While his father would rest in the hostel room in the afternoon Baba would stand by the window engrossed in the humdrum of the busy street in front of the hostel building.

Dadi's health began to deteriorate with time. He would frequently fall ill making him weak and frail. Gradually his son Shri Prashant Kumar Ray began attending to his father's legal clients along with that of his own. On one such afternoon when Dadi was in his sickbed trying to take a nap Baba drove his toy car in the courtyard and terrace honking its horn and making loud sounds of the speeding car's engine. Sick and frail Dadi could not take withstand the cacophony and for the first time in his life he rushed to his darling grandson pulled his ear and yelled at him to stop disturbing him with his noisy car. Shocked Baba immediately abandoned his toy peddle car and rushed to his Mami for consolation, 'coz, for the first time he had experienced his Dadi's anger. His aunt Smt. Sailaja Ray lovingly made a rather distraught Baba understand the reason for Dadi's anger.

After a few weeks of the incidence, Dadi succumbed to age inflicted maladies he was suffering from. Before his illness took a turn for the worse Dadi had had a discussion with Baba's father and my grandfather Shri Ajit Kumar Sen and his son Shri Prashant Kumar Ray. He had asked Shri Ajit Kumar Sen to take his son, my Baba under his wings after Dadi's death. Meanwhile, Dadi had arranged for Baba's admission to Ballygunge Government High School, Calcutta. At Shri Prashant Kumar Ray's behest, who always considered Baba to be his son, the trio agreed Baba would spend his weekends with his uncle Shri Prashant Kumar Ray's family at 4/1 Circus Avenue.

Baba's memory sketch of Ballygunge Government High School, Calcutta. Baba studied in this school.

This marked the transition in Baba's life, from childhood to boyhood. After Dadi's death, Baba moved in to live with his father in a house close to stretch of the road in Paddapukur where Baba and his nurse Bhagirathi had met with minor cycle accident. His red toy peddles car remained in 4/1 Circus Avenue as he had grown out of it. His cousin brothers, sisters and their children and even I as a kid enjoyed driving the red toy car that was later painted blue to save it from rust.

 I conclude this initiative in the form of a blog "The Journey" of my father, Baba, Shri Sarit Kumar Sen. Please share your comments and suggestions on this initiative.

Acknowledgement:
I thank my mother Smt. Sharmila Sen and uncles Shri Mallinath Ray and Shri Somnath Ray and also my aunt Smt. Shipra Gupta nee Ray for inspiring to create this blog.

Additional Information:
About Toy Peddle Car:
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-childrens-1940s-tri-ang-tinplate-pedal-car-toy-91818848.html

https://in.pinterest.com/pin/401875966732072250/?lp=true

About Balygunge Government High School:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballygunge_Government_High_School

Childhood - IV

Baba often used to remember his morning and evening strolls in his pram from Parsee Bagan Lane to Rishikesh Park at Amherst Street. With a gleeful twinkle in his eyes, he would reminisce the sight of fruit bats hanging upside down from the branches of a tree beside the park. Often screeching while flying off their perch only to hang upside down from some other branch of the tree. Infant Baba would gaze at them with amazement wondering how these birds could hang upside down but fly just like any other birds do. He would often question his Nurse how it was possible and had to satisfy himself with the same reply "Baba, those are night birds, they sleep during the day and fly around at night."

There was an agreement between Baba and his cousin uncle Dhiren Ray. According to the agreement, Every morning Dhiren Ray would drive Baba in his car up and down the length of the lane before driving off to his office.

Hand pulled rickshaw-wallah was Baba's superhero! He would marvel at the rickshaw wallah's strength and tenacity. Wonder how he could pull the rickshaw with Baba and his Didi in it. He could pull the rickshaw all the way to the temple or a relative's house, where ever Didi would ask him to take them. On reaching the destination the rickshaw-wallah would put the rails of the rickshaw on the ground for them to alight from it. A sudden dip of the rickshaw to the ground level would make Baba frantically cling to Didi's arm fearing he would tumble off the rickshaw.

Early one morning a thundering sound broke the peace and quiet of  Parsee Bagan Lane. It made Baba rush out of the house to its main gate closely followed by his Nurse and uncle trying to stop him from rushing into the street. No sooner had Baba seen a monstrous black machine trundling down the road belching black smoke; he stood rooted to his place, gazing at the machine in awe. The machine had heavy metal wheels that thundered like rain clouds. He whispered to his Nurse who stood close to him, "What is this monster? What is it doing here?!" The Nurse smiled at Baba and told him it was a road-roller that made the roads. They would now have a tar metaled road in front of their house. The enormity of the road-roller mesmerised Baba and he refused to go indoors and stood by the main gate gazing at the road-roller and its driver busy doing their work.

No, I remember the promise made in the post "Childhood - III" I would narrate Baba's experience of walking on the edge of the concrete water trough. 

Every evening Baba would go with his nurse for a walk down the main road. One fine evening, while walking down the road, Baba's Nurse chanced upon a friend from his village. Both he and his friend crouched by the concrete water trough engrossed in conversation puffing Beedi (Indian cigarette) while infant Baba clambered up on the edge of a concrete water trough built on the pavement and got busy walking on the edge of the trough trying to balance his each and every step. Suddenly the loud sound of a large truck honking its horn while driving down the road made Baba lose his foothold on the trough's edge and fall headlong into it. His Nurse, on hearing a loud splash from the trough jumped up on his feet, dipped his hands into the trough to pull Baba out of it in the nick of time.

Once out of the water trough Baba who was wet to the bone was shivering and gasping for breath. His Nurse picked him up and rushed into a nearby tea shop. The owner of the tea shop was his friend. The nurse pulled an iron chair by the large cooking stove and placed Baba on it. He undressed Baba and put his wet clothes by the rim of the stove for them to dry. Baba remained seated on the chair while waiting for his clothes to dry. He enjoyed the tea shop's hustle and bustle. The shop owner was busy preparing and serving tea and snacks to the people. People stepped into the shop, took a place at a table, ordered tea and snacks, enjoyed a hot cup of tea with biscuits and snacks engrossed in their banter. Spending an evening in a tea shop as a silent observer was like reading an evening newspaper.

After some time, Baba's Nurse checked his clothes. Satisfied the clothes were dry, he dressed Baba up in them and they returned home to an unusual sight. Every evening, they used to return home before Baba's Dadi and uncles returned home from their work, but this evening, they met with Baba's uncle, Shri Prashant Kumar Ray, who had lines of worry and anger running visibly across his forehead. On seeing Baba and his nurse he lost his cool and yelled at them. He asked the Nurse why they were late to return home from an evening walk. When the Nurse explained the reason to Mama Babu (Shri Prashant Kumar Ray). He had the face his verbal fury. That made Baba pipe in quite innocently, "Babu (Baba used to address his uncle, Shri Prashant Kumar Ray, as Babu), why are you scolding him. It was my fault. I lost balance and fell into the water trough. He pulled me out of it and dried me up in a tea shop!"

When Baba had narrated this incidence to me, I had asked him what was the need to make concrete water troughs on the pavements by the roadside. He had sketched this image of concrete water trough with a horse beside it to explain the need for the water trough by the roadside. Concrete water troughs were made by the roadside for the animals to drink from. Particularly for horses drawing tanga and carts.

Mama Babu, Shri Prashant Kumar Ray was a father figure to Baba. He introduced Baba to the amazing world of children's literature both in Bengali and English language. The colourful illustrations of children's books would fascinate Baba. He would ask his uncle to read the stories and limericks to him. Mama Babu would recite nursery rhymes to Baba. Colourful pictures and the catchy tunes of nursery rhymes easily caught Baba's imagination and these books became his best friends.

Baba would coax Dadi and Didi for bedtime stories. They would regale him with the fairy tales that he narrated to me when I was a child.

Mama Babu was Baba's first formal teacher who introduced him to alphabets and numbers in Bengali and English.

Oh yes! like any child, Baba too liked cycles, carts and vehicles. Let us enjoy his childhood experience of cycle, cart and vehicle ride in Childhood - V.

Additional Information:

Calcutta's Taana (Hand-Pulled) Rickshaws.  Source: 
1. FirstPost:  https://www.firstpost.com/photos/130-years-of-kolkatas-hand-pulled-rickshaws-a-brief-history-of-the-city-of-joys-most-recognisable-symbols-4443015.html
2. Rickshawwallah.com: www.rickshawwallah.com
About Amherst Street: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amherst_Street_(Kolkata)

Parsee Bagan Lane, Calcutta, Source: Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Parsi+Bagan+Ln,+Machuabazar,+Kolkata,+West+Bengal+700009/@22.5794146,88.3707569,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x3a02764585dba8bf:0xec5df8d81bd1ab51!8m2!3d22.5794146!4d88.3729456

Rishikesh Park, Amherst Street,Calcutta. Source: Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/place/%E0%A4%B9%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B6+%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%95+%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%AC/@22.581424,88.3687489,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x3a02764f3a39d771:0xae32fc8aa855aaf5!8m2!3d22.581424!4d88.3709376

Childhood - III

On a festive occasion of Basant Panchami (Saraswati Puja), Baba asked his Aunt (Smt. Sailaja Ray, wife of his maternal uncle, Shri Prashant Kumar Ray) to dress him up in a sari like Goddess Saraswati. His highly amused uncle, Shri Prashant Kumar Ray asked him to pose for a photograph.

Baba's first train journey was from Howrah Station to Saria Hazaribagh Road Station. This fascinating train journey ignited his childlike curiosity to know more about the world beyond his home and local milieu. His love for trains and train journey continued unabated throughout his life. His first train journey was with his grandfather, Dadi (Shri Jnanendranath Ray) to their summer residence in Saria Hazaribagh Road.

Baba's elder cousin brother, Shri Shishir Ray (Shishir Da), who was Shri Prashant Kumar Ray's (Baba's maternal uncle)peer, would accompany them on such weekend and summer vacation visits to Hazaribagh. Infant Baba's cousin brother Shishir (Da) Ray was his idol and role model. Often Shishir Da would tease and torment infant Baba as elder siblings do.

One day, infant Baba peeved by Shishir Da's ribbing headed for the front door yelling, "I will not stay with you all, everyone scolds me, mocks me and makes fun of me! I will go wherever my pair of eyes lead me to!" In fits of laughter, Shishir Da picked up kid Baba in his arms volunteering to accompany him.

Infant Baba enjoyed playing cricket with Shishir Da. Whenever they would lose a ball, they would make a paper ball and continue with their game of cricket.

Barakar River, a monsoon-fed river that remains mostly dry during summer and flows in full spate during monsoon flows close to Saria Hazaribagh. During one such visit to Saria Hazaribagh Road with Dadi (Grandfather) and Shishir Da, Baba would often stroll with Shishir Da to the banks of Barakar river. One day, Baba asked Shishir da whether they could cross the river. Shishir Da returned Baba's excitement asking him to carefully step on the stones and rocks on the more-or-less dry river bed and closely follow him to cross the river. Baba, studiously followed Shishir da stone by stone, step by step. Just as the duo reached the other side of the river, Baba missed a step on a stone to reach the river bank. Shishir da quickly held on to a branch of a bush while catching Baba with his other hand and pulling him onto to the river bank. They enjoyed hearty laughter before trekking to explore the forest.

Often a sparrow would fly into Baba's room and build a nest in the crags of the ceiling's wooden beams. Occasionally a fledgeling would fall off the nest and squeal for help. Baba would rush into the room and find the mother screaming and hovering above its fallen child.  Baba and his Nurse would put the sparrow's fledgeling back into its nest.

At times a sparrow would fly into the room and frantically flutter around searching for its way out. Baba and his nurse would try to shoo it towards the door for exit.

Occasionally, the sparrow would tire out and perch in a corner of the room. Baba's Nurse would gently throw a cloth over it, pick it up and hand it to Baba.  Baba would gently take the bird and feel the tiny and fretful bird's heart thumping loudly against its feathery chest. Baba would lovingly whisper "Don't be afraid little bird, we are helping you to fly to your nest."

Baba would take the sparrow outside and release it. He would marvel at the tiny bird fly away out of his sight. This would fill him with a sense of pride and loving warmth of compassion thinking the tiny sparrow must have reached its nest and its fledgelings.

Baba used to enjoy standing on the terrace at night and observe the night sky. He would enjoy his flights of imagination reaching out to the fluffy clouds floating in the sky; to the distant stars and imaginary beings inhabiting them. He would listen to the distant sound of moving vehicles, the sound of the horn of ships docked in the shipyard. He was not afraid of darkness and loved to be all by himself in his imaginary world. He would imagine the characters from the stories come to life and visualise the narratives of bedtime stories Didi would tell him.

You must be wondering what infant Baba is trying to do at the edge of the concrete water trough. What happened next?! Let that be the narrative of Childhood IV.

Additional Information:

Barakar River: https://www.indianetzone.com/33/river_barakar_indian_river.htm
Hazaribagh Road Railway Station: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hazaribagh_Road_railway_station
About Hazaribagh: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hazaribagh

Childhood - II

 House of Late Shri Brajendranath Ray, elder brother of Shri Jnandranath Ray.  Now it was a joint family residence of Shri Brajendranath Ray's widow, whom Baba called, 'Didi', her two sons, Shri Mani Ray, and Dhiren Ray; Shri Jnandranath Ray ( Baba's maternal grandfather) and his son, Shri Prashant Kumar Ray.

Baba (Shri Sarit Kumar Sen) was born in his Mother, Smt. Sailabala Sen's room housed on the first floor of  106, Parsee Bagan Lane.

Shri Jnanendranath Ray(Baba used to address him as 'Dadi') was an Advocate by profession. The front room on the ground floor was his legal consultation chamber.

The living room was beside the legal chamber. The green chair in the sketch below was Dadi, Shri Jnanendranath Ray's Arm Chair. Baba's Mother, Smt. Sailabala Ray, breathed her last on the long wooden bench in the centre of the living room.

Baba's Mother, Smt. Sailabala Ray nee Ray was the youngest child and only daughter of Shri Jnanendranath Ray. In fact, she was the only girl child in the Ray family. Like her son Shri Sarit Kumar Sen, when she was only a year and a half old, she had lost her mother Smt. Charubala Ray.

Baba's parents, Shri Ajit Kumar Sen (Father) and Smt. Shailabala Sen nee Ray (Mother).

Dadi, Shri Jnanendranath Ray's room.

Shri Jnanendranath Ray (Dadi)

Baba's maternal uncle, Shri Prashant Kumar Ray's room.

Shri Prashant Kumar Ray studied Geology and was to join Geological Society of India. Unfortunately, he lost his brother, Shri Prafulla Kumar Ray to Typhoid.  Prafulla Ray had died before Baba's birth. Prafulla Kumar Ray was a lawyer, who practised law along with his Father, Shri Jnanendranath Ray. After his brother's death, at their Father, Shri Jnanendranath Ray's behest, Shri Prashant Kumar Ray studied law and joined his father's legal firm. 

Baba's maternal uncle, Shri Dhiren Ray's room, in which he breathed his last.

Shri Dhiren Ray. nephew of Shri Jnanendranath Ray.

 Shri Mani Ray, nephew of Shri Jnanendranath Ray and elder brother of Shri Dhiren Ray.

Baba made this memory sketch of his uncle, Mani Ray, consoling his Mother (whom Baba remembers as his foster mother, 'Didi'), on the death of her son and his brother, Shri Dhiren Ray.

Baba's Grandaunt (Didi's) room. Didi was the mother to infant  Shri Sarit Kumar Sen (Baba); after he lost his Mother at a tender age of one and a half years.

Didi, a widow, managed the household of her brother-in-law, Shri Jnanendranath Ray and her two sons, Shri Mani Ray, and Shri Dhiren Ray.

 Baba remembered this room as his Didi's (his mother) room where he travelled from his infancy to boyhood. Baba's memory sketch depicting Didi feeding infant Shri Sarit Kumar Sen(Baba) with 'Jhinuk' a feeding spoon was used to feed the infants when feeding bottles were not in vogue. After feeding him Didi would sing a lullaby to him. 

In the evening, all members of the family would enjoy their evening together discussing the day's events and experience while sipping a fresh hot cup of tea with homemade snacks Didi would serve them.

Infant Baba with his cousin brother Shri Shishir Ray in the following memory sketch. In the next post on Baba's childhood, I shall narrate the event that left an impression on Baba's memory and inspired this memory sketch.