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.