( Vol IV) Renuka died within 10 months of her mother's death

Rabindranath had imagined that he would establish his family in Santiniketan. But Man proposes and God disposes. Rabindranath's wife, Mrinalini, fell seriously ill there in 1902. She was brought to Calcutta when Rabindranth's mind was pre-occupied with thoughts of his school at Shantiniketan and with recent Indian politics. The Governor Lord Curzon, after the death of the Queen Victoria, convened a meeting at Delhi. Rabindranath wrote an essay, Atyukti ( Exaggeration). The essay was a reply to the lecture delivered by Curzon in the convocation of Calcutta University where he mentioned that exaggeration was a peculiarity of the East. In such a situation, Rabindranath had to stay far away from his school. He had to prepare a constitution for the School which  had been converted to an University, Viswabharati University. meanwhile, Mrinalini was gradually getting worse. She brought her second son-in-law from America because he had to complete 'Phool Sajya'  (second marriage) after Renuka attained her womanhood and she wanted to see the occasion with her own eyes.
Mrinalini died on 23 December 1902, just after 11 months of the inauguration of Santiniketan. At the time of her death, Mrinalini was 30 years old and Rabindranath was 41. His eldest son Rathindra was 14, preparing for  his Entrance Examination, and Mira, the youngest daughter,  was 10 years old, the youngest son, Shamindra was 8.
Rabindranath wrote many poems as a  commemorative piece after the death of his wife, which he called  'Smaran'. He also wrote 'Utsarga' where he expressed his deep agony. In his life he had to overcome many sorrows but nothing could obstruct his creative activity. Rani, his second daughter, was suffering for some time. At first it appeared as an infection of the throat. But after some time it was diagonised as TB. Rabindranath, after the death of his wife, brought his children again at Santiniketan. But Rani (Renuka)gradualy got worse. The physician advised her to have a change of climate. Rabindranath took her to Hazaribagh. But it was a very difficult route at that time. One had to go to Hazaribagh via Giridi in a palanquin known as push-push. Once many days ago he had been there as a tourist. This time he was going with his daughter with heavy heart.