Patna, June 17: Sweet desire is plaguing the leader of the Opposition, Rabri Devi, these days.

The leader confessed before reporters recently that she misses the juicy litchis of 1-Anne Marg, her former official residence, where she stayed for 15 years.

She has been missing them (the litchis) more this year, as her family has not received a single fruit from the tree that the former chief minister had planted, even as the litchi season is drawing to a close.

Till last year, 1-Anne Marg’s present occupant Nitish Kumar had sent a basketful to Rabri Devi and Lalu Prasad. But, this year the couple has not received the fruit basket.

“Ped humne lagaya thaa. Uska phal to hume milna his chahiye thaa (I had planted the tree. We should have received its fruits),” Rabri Devi said, getting a tad nostalgic while remembering her former 1-Anne Marg home. “Litchi season is at its end and Nitishji has not sent a single piece,” she rued.

Rabri Devi lives in 10-Circular Road, a stone’s throw from 1-Anne Marg.

Nitish Kumar, however, had his explanations ready when reporters apprised him of Rabri’s sweet desire.

“That tree was infested with pests and failed to produce fruits this year,” he said, adding: “I am aware that Rabri Devi likes mangoes of a particular tree here as well. This year, instead of the litchis, I will send them the mangoes when they are ripe.”

On a lighter note, Nitish Kumar added that he did not need a “reminder” for such courtesies. “I will not deprive the family of Anne Marg’s fruits.”

Rabri Devi was the occupant of 1-Anne Marg from 1990-1997 as the wife of former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad. She became the chief minister in 1997 when Lalu Prasad went to jail for the fodder scam and stayed there till the end of 2005.

She left the residence in December 2005 to pave way for Nitish Kumar, who replaced her as the chief minister.