Aspandiar Rustom Irani, affectionately known as Pendu, held a unique position among Meher Baba's mandali as the Master's first cousin. Their mothers, Piroja and Shireen, were sisters from the Irani family, and Pendu had known Baba since childhood—a bond that preceded the formal spiritual relationship that developed later. When Baba began gathering disciples at Manzil-e-Meem in Bombay in 1922, Pendu was among the earliest to join, bringing with him a lifetime of familial connection transformed into devoted service.

Pendu's temperament was a study in contrasts that Baba used masterfully for his spiritual development. He was intensely loyal, hardworking to the point of exhaustion, and possessed of a quick temper that Baba repeatedly addressed as the one obstacle to his spiritual perfection. 'You have dedicated your whole life to Me and have been serving Me for years with all your heart,' Baba once told him after an incident where Pendu had slapped another mandali member. 'But up to now you have failed to dedicate your anger to Me. If you do it, you will be unequaled!' This theme recurred throughout their relationship—Baba recognizing Pendu's extraordinary qualities while constantly working on his one weakness.

As the Manager of Meherabad, Pendu became indispensable to the practical functioning of Baba's ashram. His responsibilities were vast: overseeing construction projects, managing finances (though Baba once scolded him, 'you don't know the first thing about accounting'), coordinating complex darshan programs that could involve thousands of people, and ensuring the mandali had proper accommodations. His approach was thoroughly practical and sometimes audacious. When tasked with completing major construction work at Meherabad in 1938, Pendu negotiated a bold condition with Baba: 'Don't come here before that date! Each time you come you add to my work!' He then stayed on the hill for two weeks straight, not bathing, having meals sent up, working until the deadline was met.

In 1926, while Pendu was working as Dr. Karkal's assistant at the Meherabad hospital, Baba made a remarkable prediction: 'Don't fear, Pendu, you won't die for 30 years!' This prophecy proved dramatically accurate. On December 2, 1956, the car carrying Baba, Pendu, Eruch, Vishnu, and Nilu was involved in a devastating accident near Satara. Dr. Nilu suffered severe internal injuries and died soon afterward without regaining consciousness. Pendu, thrown from the car with a broken leg, had both legs put in plaster casts and lay unconscious for several days. Yet he survived—exactly as Baba had indicated thirty years before. 'We will both be up and walking together,' Baba assured him during his recovery in Poona. 'You will be all right and walk again, but I will not be able to walk normally again ever.'

Pendu's service extended across continents. In 1932, he and Gustadji waited three months in China and received Baba at Nanking. In 1952, he and Eruch were sent on a speaking tour across India and Pakistan. He played a key role in the New Life preparation of 1949, managing the sale of all Meherabad lands and assets. In 1951, it was Pendu who discovered Khojaguda Hill and prepared the cave for Baba's Manonash work.

One of the most touching testimonies to Pendu's character came in 1939 when Baba asked him directly what he wanted after seventeen years of service. 'Nothing!' Pendu replied. When pressed about why he remained with Baba, his answer was simple: 'To serve you, to see to your pleasure and to do as you order.' Baba used this exchange as an example to others: 'Pendu has been with Me for so many years, and you know how hard he works for Me. Still, in return, he wants nothing!'

Pendu remained with Baba until the very end, one of the fourteen mandali present at Meherazad in the Master's final days. After Baba dropped his body in January 1969, Pendu continued living at Meherazad, welcoming pilgrims and sharing stories from his decades with the Avatar. He passed away on November 7, 1986, and was buried at the Men's Cemetery at Lower Meherabad, having fulfilled his simple desire to serve until his last breath.