Baba spent the night at the Confectioners' apartment and then, accompanied by the mandali, proceeded to Dahanu accompanied by the mandali, where he stayed for two days discussing his future plans, before returning to Nasik on 1 May 1933. Baba had wished to rest in Dahanu, but being summer it was extremely hot and he complained about the milk being watery. Gustadji went to stay for a few days with his cousin, Rustom Elavia, at his residence in Mahim.
Mahatma Gandhi was still being held at the Yeravda Central Prison in Poona. Baba sent Chanji there on the 5th with a message for Gandhi, whom Chanji met at 10:35 A.M. on the 6th.1
Abdulla Jaffer came to see Baba on the 8th; Adi Sr. and Vishnu left for Ahmednagar the same day, and returned on the 11th. Baba left Nasik for Meherabad on Sunday, 14 May 1933 with some of the mandali, including Chanji, Kaka and Pendu. At Meherabad, Baba met Raosaheb who had recently been in the hospital, and also Sidhu and Kalingad who were staying there with him.
Baba left at midnight by train for Bombay. His visit to Bombay was to have been strictly private to book passage on a ship for Europe, but when he arrived at Manekji and Banu's the next morning there were visitors waiting. Baba was not pleased, but he met the Marker family. Baba then visited Nilu at his room on Bellasis Road. A wali was seated opposite the building, and Baba remarked that he was an advanced soul.
On the 17th Baba went incognito to a local hospital to see the wife of a close lover. Afterwards he went to Rustom Elavia's residence, Ruby Villa, to see Gustadji. On the night of the 18th Baba and the mandali went to a film, Puran Bhakta (The Devotee), at the Wellington Cinema.
Baba wished to take a suitable boy with him to Europe and advertisements to this effect were placed in several Bombay newspapers. Over 50 candidates came, but most were too old and all were rejected. Pendu remained behind in Bombay to continue the search.
Baba, Gustadji, Kaka and Chanji returned by train to Nasik on the afternoon of Saturday, 20 May 1933, while Adi Sr. drove Jalbhai, Vishnu and Chhagan there. On the way their car was forcibly stopped at Igatpuri by a gang, and they were badly beaten and robbed. Throughout the day, Baba had been restless, asking about them repeatedly.
Footnotes
- 1.Gandhi was released from jail two days later.