We ‘Sinha’ siblings have also always shared fond reminiscences of our dear Dadu-Didas, Aunts, Uncles and Cousins as part of our growing up years. Under the broad umbrella covering ‘Uncles’, we didn’t have a real ‘Chacha-ji’ (though all Dad’s friends were Chachas/Uncles to us)but on the maternal side, we did have two real and really endearing Mama-jis, who remain unforgettable for the kind of men they were !
Interestingly, our two Mamashadfairly distinct personalities. Elder (Boro) Mamaji was soft-spoken, kind, generousand gentle and no one (incl his kids) ever heard him speak loudly because he could quietly make his point. Chote Mama was years younger to him (Mom was their eldest sister). He was vocal, suave, flamboyant, fair, handsome & could regale us with Hemant Kumar songs like ‘..Sun jadil ki daastaan..’ and jokes about how simple villagers were taught the military drills that he had witnessed !
My Dad was very close to both his ‘Shalas’ and in the early part of our childhood years till the late 1960s, we’d have annual visits to our ‘Mamarbari’ in Village Harinavi near Calcutta (now a part of main Kolkata). Dadu, the revered family patriarch would teach us stories of patriotism and songs like “DhonoDhannePushpeBhora..”. In a sprawling house with nearby maidans and ponds, life then was so simple and idyllic and made memorable by the affection we got from Mama’s, Maima’s and Mashis. We still recall thatevery family gathering/weddings there were bright and joyful, every childhood memory remains still sweet and every life lesson was easy to digest and never to forget.
Coming back to our Chote Mama’s quintessential charm was the memory of beautiful songs that he and Choto Maima would sing (being a trained singer) and that made us fall in love with Bengali Music and Rabindra Sangeet. Mama’s being ‘Khati Bangalis’ were great soccer and cricket fans. I remember as a young boy, when India beat Aussies in 1959 in famous Kanpur Test, Dad and Chote Mama returned home crying with joy. When our Mamarbari folks visited us in our home in Lucknow, it was a major event & the family photographer was called to capture the ‘Sinha-Mitra’ families for posterity.
All this comes back as we stumble upon old family albums and B&W pics and marvel at how innocent we looked. One pic I’ve restored is from when Chote Mama’s marriage in the late 1950s – the baraat went to Bhagalpur and I was made the ‘Neet Bor’ and felt very important. I’m told a young girl was my counterpart. Both Mama & I look so cool.
As John Green put it beautifully ‘One day, you’re 17 and you’re planning for someday. And then quietly, without you really noticing, someday is today. And then someday is yesterday. And this is your life.”. Even at 70, there’s future for us hopefully, but there’s so much to look back upon. I just lean back & travel in time with all those moments !
Working on Living 