ABSTRACT
Didima (Mrs. R.C. Dutt) came and stayed with us twice at Chinsurah. It always needed a great deal of persuasion to make her leave Calcutta where she lived with her son, my Mama and his large family. Father was insistent, saying a change and the cool river breeze would do her good. Didima was orthodox and whenever she came for a visit to us, a special Brahmin cook used to be employed to prepare her meals and serve them upstairs, in her own room. New cooking utensils would be bought, one of the numerous unused servants’ quarters be white washed, cleaned and turned into a kitchen for the Brahmin cook. Father supervised all her needs personally, he would not trust even Mother to do so. Didima lived in the two guest rooms of the annexe upstairs, and either Father or Mother would always be present at her meal times.
