Mr. Tripathi was my revered father. My grandfather, Shri Ayodhya Prasad Tripathi, had moved from Kursi Kakwan (Kanpur) to live in his maternal grandparents’ village. He worked as an accountant and general agent for the respected landlord Pandit Shri Gopal Dixit of Bevar. My grandfather was extremely simple, saintly, and soft-spoken. The residents of Bevar held him in deep respect and reverence. Like my grandfather, my grandmother was also a very kind and tolerant woman.

My grandfather had three children, two sons and one daughter. My grandmother passed away when her children were still young. They were later raised by another grandmother. My uncle, Shri Jawaharlal Tripathi, joined the army in his youth and later worked as an agent for another landlord in Bevar, Lala Bangalilal. My father was the youngest of his two brothers. From childhood, he appeared extremely gentle, simple, hardworking, virtuous, humorous, and brave. He received only elementary education at school, but he was rich in practical experience. His personality was very attractive. In his youth, he paid special attention to his health. He was naturally endowed with a strong and robust physique. His high forehead, large, bright eyes, and thick, upward-curling mustache still paint a vivid picture of his dignified personality in my memory. My father’s pleasant and serious voice, his impressive, sweet smile, and his polite, restrained behavior had a unique charm. Anyone who met him even once became his friend.

My father supported his family partly through farming and partly through a sweet shop. He was married at the age of 25. My mother, Shrimati Vidyadevi, was the daughter of Shri Chhotelal Pandey, a resident of Kinhavar village in Mainpuri district. My revered mother was a very humble, virtuous, and extremely beautiful woman. My grandmother used to say that in her time, my mother was considered the most beautiful daughter-in-law in our town. Because of her charming beauty and exceptional qualities, her family members affectionately preferred to call her simply “Devi” (Goddess) instead of Vidya Devi.

My mother gave birth to four children. Our eldest sister and youngest brother passed away in childhood. They seemed to have an almost obsessive need for purity. Suffering from a severe stomach ailment, my mother passed away at the age of 24, leaving behind her two young children. At the time of my mother’s death, my younger brother Rajaram was only 6 years old. Afterward, my father took on the responsibilities of both mother and father in raising us two brothers.