Realizing that Baba was not speaking, the tailor asked, "Who is he, and why doesn't he talk?"
Gaimai replied, "He is my elder brother; due to some throat problem he cannot speak. All remedies have been tried, but to no avail."
The old man was drawn to Baba and, hearing this, he looked sad and said, "Merwan Haite , give up these English medicines and come with me to Kathiawar, where there are very good ayurvedic doctors. Their treatment will surely cure you."1
Baba nodded in agreement and good-naturedly dictated, "I am going to Europe to have my throat examined. Perhaps I will be helped there."
"But why go to Europe?" the tailor asked. "Listen to me and get yourself treated in Kathiawar." Baba only smiled.
It was observed that Baba particularly enjoyed the old man's company. Whenever the tailor had to thread his needle, he would call out, "Merwan Haite, come and thread this needle for an old man." When Baba would do it, the tailor would burst out with, " Arey , Ram!" On one occasion, the tailor remarked, "Merwan Haite, how handsome you are, how youthful you look! But see God's play; He has deprived you of a tongue! Trust me and come with me to Kathiawar. If you begin speaking, you will be irresistible." Delighted, Baba would listen to the tailor's conversation, and the old man would purposely pull the thread from the needle just so he could call Baba and keep him near.
During Baba's visit to Nagpur, Dadi was suffering with pneumonia. By the doctor's advice, he was to be given a certain medicine every three hours. Baba took over this duty for Gaimai and would look after Dadi himself. One night when Gaimai was sitting by Dadi's side, she wanted to use the toilet. Standing outside the door, she was thinking: "What can I do now? No one is awake to be near Dadi."
As she was having these anxious thoughts, Baba appeared and signaled to her, "You may go; I will be near Dadi. Take your time; I will stay here."
Baba then sat on the bed and kept Dadi's head in his lap. This incident convinced Gaimai that Baba knew her every thought, and she was deeply taken with Baba's kindness.
A few years before, when the Jessawalas had visited Meherabad, looking at Eruch, Baba asked Gaimai, "What is he studying?"
She told Baba, and he replied, "Why do you want him to study further? Give him to me!"
Footnotes
- 1.Haite, like Seth or Sir, is a term of respect.