very much. So, he never missed the sweet opportunity to take fonta
(ফোঁটা) from his cousins and other sisters.
Soudamini-Sharatkumari-Sukumari-Swarnakumari-Barnakumari used to give
fonta to Dwijendranath-Satyendranath-Hemendranath-Jyotindranath! and
Rabindranath too. After the initial rituals, the sister used to serve
dishes full of sweets to her elder brother Rabindranath and in
exchange, the poet used to give her cash, even it so small - it was
the token of respect and love. That money was being supplied to young
Rabindranath by some elder of poets family. Rabindranath was then
adolescent of 15 years old. Bouthan Kadambari Debi used to take care
of him and other brothers of Rabindranath. The poet lost his mother,
so Bouthan was his shelter to seek indulgence. Kadambari Debi used to
get monthly sum from his husband Jyotirindranath. And she used to give
the required money to Rabindranath for his 'pranami' to sister. She
also supplied money for this occasion to another 'debar' Somendranath.
Swarnakumari Debi used to love brother Rabindranath very much. She
gave 'fonta' to Rabi many times. She dedicated her collection of poems
"Gatha" to Rabindranath with these lines - "ছোট ভাইটি আমার, / যতনের
গাথা হার কাহারে পরাব আর? / স্নেহের রবিটি, / তোরে আয়রে পরাই, / যেন রে
খেলার ভুলে ছিঁড়িয়া ফেল না খুলে, / দুরন্ত ভাইটি তুই - তাইতে ডরাই। "
Barnakumari Debi was 4 years older than Rabindranath. She used to give
Fonta to the poet even at his old ages. In the year 1939, when the
poet was very old, Barnakumari too, she was 82 then. And all the
brothers and sisters were dead. The poet was then in the house of
Jorasanko. Barnakumari arranged to give fonta to her brother, but the
poet had to leave for Shantiniketan and the sister missed the
opportunity to give him fonta. Later, she had written a letter to the
poet informing how she missed the scope to give him Fonta. The poet
wrote in reply that he got the 'aashirbad' with ধান দূর্বা, so he
need nothing more. The poet wrote this letter to Barnakumari on 14
November, 1939. But Barnakumari got the chance to give Fonta to her
brother for the last time next year. The sick poet came to Jorasanko
on 29 September, 1940. He lived in the room of marble stone upstairs.
He gradually recovered and Barnakumari gave him Fonta. It was a
marvellous scene described by Rani Chanda in her book "Gurudeb". And
it was the last "Bhai Fonta" of Rabindranath at the age of 80.
--
A. B.
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