The story so far:As Choto-ma took the girls to Ranchi, they geared up to adapt to the new lifestyle.
Choto-ma got them books, slates and exercise books.
“Sarojini, since you already know how to read I’ll start you on The Royal Reader ,” she said. “I have some Bengali books for you as well. And you can practise handwriting in the exercise book, with pencil at first, until you get used to it. Anu and Radhu, you can use the slate until your letters are legible. I have books for you too.”
Grandma and her sisters-in-law settled down to their new routine. Anu and Radhu did not enjoy studying quite as much as grandma did but they became adept at sewing and cooking. Grandma lost herself in the imaginary world of stories and often forgot to add salt or sugar! But her embroidery and crochet grew prettier with practice.
Books to the rescue
They had been in Ranchi for over a year now. Everything was nice here — the spacious house, the garden, the hilly roads with tall green trees. Grandma especially liked the living room with its rows of book-shelves, most of them bound in leather and magazines stacked on a side table.
But the winter was staggering. The girls had never come across such dry, intense cold before. Grandma, Radhu and Anu sat huddled up in the living room despite the woollen socks they had knitted for themselves.
When it was time for Kakamoni to return, Puran, the domestic help, placed a charcoal stove in the room with an easy-chair near it. Kakamoni sat there and read the newspaper after he freshened up.
“Get your knitting, girls,” said Choto-ma.
“If only someone would tell us a story!” sighed grandma.
“Kakamoni, please tell us a story,” said Anu, “you read so many books!”
“Very well,” said Kakamoni.
That was the beginning of exciting times. Kakamoni started the story of David Copperfield and every one listened entranced. They listened to a story of a different land and a different kind of life and could have gone on listening forever. This became their usual evening treat, unless an unexpected guest dropped in.
Kakamoni told them stories of Oliver Twist, Great Expectations, A Christmas Carol and other stories from Dickens. He went on to stories of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, Les Miserables and Toilers of the Sea . Choto-ma told them stories from Grimm’s Fairy Tales and Alice In Wonderland in the afternoons.
This love for books was to stay with grandma for the rest of her life. A love that nothing could affect or shake despite sorrow, problems, worries, and sickness. Books gave her the strength to look problems in the face and build an inner world of her own where she could always be happy.
The end
