In the book "Tagore - A Life," Krishna Kripalani paints a vivid picture of Tagore's interaction with Annapurna. Merely 17 years old at the time, Rabindranath spent two months in Bombay before heading to England for his studies in the year 1878. During his stay, he resided at the home of Dr. Atmaram Pandurang Turkhud, a prominent physician and the founder of Prarthana Sabha. Dr. Atmaram was a friend of Satyendranath Tagore, Rabindranath's elder brother.
Annapurna, Anna, Nalini... various names adorned her, yet she would forever remain Rabindranath Tagore's first love. And as they say, 'First Loves' can never be forgotten, akin to the gentle caress of the first Spring breeze or the innocence of a seedling as it sprouts from the soil.
As the preparatory classes progressed, a deep bond formed between Rabindranath and Annapurna, leading him to affectionately call her 'Nalini' - a name that he later immortalised in his poetry. Annapurna was moved by the young poet and once wrote to him: 'Poet, I think that even if I were on my death-bed, your songs would call me back to life.'
Interestingly, Annapurna expressed her dislike for Rabindranath's bearded appearance and urged him not to keep it. At the age of eighty, Tagore humorously recalls: 'Everyone knows that I have not followed that advice. But she herself did not live to see my disobedience proclaimed upon my face.'
