Sri Aurobindo

Letters of Sri Aurobindo

Volume 3

Letter ID: 822

Sri Aurobindo — Roy, Dilip Kumar

September 15, 1936

Finished the fourth article and posted all at 4 – worked till then. Then read Jawaharlal and just penned a letter to Vidya telling her you would write to her soon, that you are too busy, etc., when a messenger materialised from Dewas Maharaja and said that before I sing to Highness he would be delighted if I would have a cup of tea. Tonight? He asked. Right ho – I said. I hope he will give me good cakes. The Maharani whom I met for a few minutes last evening on the pier told me in great joy she would tell Maharaja and arrange it and asked me to convey to “Sri Aurobindoji and Mother our gratitude for their gracious permission” – these people know.

Well as I write, the messenger reappeared and said, “His Highness requests you to take some food at 8.30 p.m. – of course vegetarian.” Gladder still – I am – for which gladness I sadly ask your forgiveness for my intrinsic badness (what about the assonance though? – not so bad as Dilipian gastronomy) but I can’t help a little gladly in sadness of penitence even. Que faire? [What to do?]

I hope it did not turn out like my first taste of Mahratta cookery – when for some reason my dinner was non est and somebody sent to my neighbour a Mahratta professor for food. I took one mouthful and only one. O God! Sudden fire in the mouth could not have been more surprising. Enough to burn down the whole of London in one wild agonising swoop of flame!

P.S. Please remember Sotuda is expectant – what? Also Vidya – but no more.

Jay, jay, jay!!! [Victory, victory, victory!!!] I have done it – both letters written; done they are this time. I am sending direct as you have already written yours to Sotu. He had thought of putting his children in a school over there as he writes in one of his letters – we have endorsed that. I am sending Vidya’s to you in a closed envelope, as I have put her address into depths from which it would take time to fish out.