Sunday, March 18, 2012

Madhurilata and Rabindranath

Bela or Madhurilata and her husband got strained relation with Rabindranath. But they had normal relations with other members of Tagore family.
Jyotirindranath wrote in his diary on 23 Oct,1915, " Sarat [Kumar Chakraborty], Bela, Beni, suddenly arrived at Calcutta, from Hazaribagh by motor today in the morning."
Rabindranath had come to Calcutta on 18th Jun and stayed for the rest of the month. The main reason for his detention was the illness of Bela.Sarat Chandra Chakraborty leaving his residence at Jorasanko due to some family trouble, began to live in  a rented house at Entally The relation with her father could not be re-establish due to her vanity in spite of the best wishes of her father. They kept up good relation including communication with other members of the Tagore family. They had cut off all the relation with Rabindranath. But learning the daughter's sufferings from TB he could not keep himself aloof. In spite of his open disregard  of his son-in-law, he had gone regularly to her daughter's sick-bed, had taken the burden of her treatment, and give her solace  by singing songs and reciting poems.
He wrote a letter to Kadambini Dutta,
" My elder daughter Madhurilata  had been attacked with TB. I was worried for that. She might be shifted to Calcutta or somewhere else for change of weather." and added on 3rd July, " Usually, I stay in my daughter's residence in the day time. I have free time in the evening."
The letter he wrote to Mira Devi on 27th Jun was somewhat hopeful,
"Bela is better now a days, the fever has come down. I may go to Bolpur when she will improve to some extent.Kaviraj Gananath Sen told me need not be disheartened." Even in this anxiety , he was doing his normal duty. From a letter written to an unknown it was understood that Rabindranath thought he would be going to Calcutta on 14th July but as his daughter's disease worsened, he started for Calcutta on 13 July and stayed there for about a monh.