Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee liked his egg roll without chillis, said a young woman.

Her father runs the fast-food counter next to the Bhattacharjee residence and from that tiny shack, food would often travel to flat number 1 on the ground floor of 59 Palm Avenue.

He was Buddha jethu to Indrolina Biswas and would gift her pens before her exams. Indrolina, now in her 30s, is a graphic designer.

I was in Class VII when my father, Moloy Biswas, took me to Buddha jethu for the first time.

I did not understand then the value of a gift from the chief minister. He asked me about my studies. Aunty (Bhattacharjee’s wife Meera) was also very affectionate to me. From then on, it almost became a ritual. I would go to get their blessings before every big exam. Every time I went, he gifted me a pen and wished me luck. His standard instruction would be: “Nervous hobenna. Bhalo bhabey porikkha deben (Do not get nervous. Write your paper well).”

Jethu’s association with our family started with food. He loved the egg roll from my dad’s shop. My father once told me his favourites were fish preparations, mixed fried rice with prawns and south Indian dishes.

The instruction would always be to keep it less spicy.

I clearly remember the day the Madhyamik exam results were declared. My father took me to his house. He was about to leave and we met him at the doorstep. He smiled and blessed me when he heard my results. Then something rare happened. Usually, he was averse to getting photographed. That day, when my father requested him to pose with me for a photograph, he readily agreed.

That is the only photograph I have with jethu. I have several pictures with jethima but not him.

Jethu would often send me exotic chocolates that someone must have gifted him. I got my first taste of such chocolates from him.

The last time I saw him in person was after my wedding in 2018. He was unwell and had not been able to attend. So I went to seek his blessings before leaving for my in-laws’ place.

That day, he was sitting on the bed and reading a newspaper. That was the last time I saw jethu.

(The former chief minister would often order egg rolls, fried rice with prawns, or other fish items. The frequency of the orders decreased after the pandemic. The last time he ordered a dosa from the shack was a few months ago, Moloy Biswas told The Telegrpah).