The author was born and brought up with four siblings in a middle-class family in Kolkata. Her father was a Central Govt Gazetted Officer and her mother, a house wife, was a disciple of Ramakrishna, Belur Math, with a keen interest in social services. She tried to inculcate the philosophy of Swami Vivekananda among her children. The family sacrificed their comforts to help others â relatives and friends, who were displaced from East Bengal. Since childhood, the author has been exposed to the various facets of life and has been determined to do social work. She completed her masterâÂÂs in economics from Calcutta University and joined a financial institution but was not happy. She had always wanted to do something significant and help others. She was involved with the womenâÂÂs wings of various philanthropic organizations in the city. She registered a foundation, in the name of her late parents, to pursue social work.