The year was 1935 and the month was November in the zodiac sign of Scorpio. The sun was setting in the red glow of the winter. My mother, Devi, had served the early dinner to the family before sunset as usual, and was about to retire to her bed. Due to the day's extra hard work, Devi went into labor earlier than expected. This was her sixth pregnancy. My father, Jai Ram, frantically went around the village looking for the mid wife and found out that the well known lady, who had delivered his other children, was not in the village at that time. There was an inn at the periphery of the village where passersby stopped for rest at night. A “Mujra” (song and dance) party had arrived at the inn that evening. At the instance of the neighbors, my father approached the Mujra lady, Begum Shah, who happily offered to help. Begum Shah was a big, fat and ugly woman but she was deft with the delivery procedure. She had no difficulty in bringing me into this world. After delivering the baby boy, Begum Shah would not let go of the baby till she was rewarded handsomely. My father had to literally buy me back from her. I was born of dark complexion, and was quite under weight. My mother's other children were born of fair complexion, and had normal weight at birth. My mother blamed the Mujra lady for my not so good looks. Begum Shah always came to see me on her subsequent visits to the village and claimed me as her own! As I grew up, it irritated me when my name was linked with Begum Shah, as she was not only ugly, but controversial and known to be of loose character as well.
