I have wanted to write a book about Sanatombi since 1965. As I was thinking about it, Arambam Samarendra, the grandson of Surchandra's youngest daughter Princess Khomdonsana, showed me some photographs and so on of Sanatombi and Maxwell. Although this greatly inspired me, I could not take it up. As a writer used to short essays and lyrics, I lacked the courage to take up the story of such a large life. But I continued to do my research. I tried twice but failed, and I have been enduring the pain of the failure of my attempts all this time. After a long time one day, when I was talking to Dr I.R. Babu, he said to me, 'Do not be afraid, just write it.' From that day on 23 September 1975, I started to write my book Boro Saheb Ongbi Sanatombi-The Princess and the Political Agent.
Most of us take Sanatombi, the native wife of the Big Saheb, as legend. I had heard snippets of stories about her when I was little. I had also heard children sing as they played: 'Sanatombi, you are lost to us, you are lost to us.' I had thought it was a story of long ago but it turned out to be not that far back. Enormous help came from my mother Maharani Dhanamanjuri, the Lady of Ngangbam, when I was building the story of Sanatombi. She saw Sanatombi when was she was about to be taken to the palace: she and Maxwell ('Menjor Meksin') had come riding on horseback with Little Majesty to see her. This was a story she told with great pleasure. Sanatombi gave her a great amount of valuable jewellery. She often came to the palace after Maxwell had left but she never stepped inside. They kept a seat prepared separately for her. I asked my mother what she looked like. She replied, 'She was beautiful, that woman."
**Contents and Sample Pages**
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