While outsiders were praised by Baba when they came for darshan, the mandali were often insulted and humiliated in their presence. This was Baba's love — his deep love — for them.
It is impossible to sleep and be awake at the same time, yet the Master demanded, "Make the impossible possible!"
Thus, one can barely imagine the types of hardships and pressures to which his close mandali were subjected.
On Saturday, 16 September 1933, C. D. Deshmukh and a relative were on their way to see Baba. They were to arrive at 10:00 A.M., but had still not shown up by 1:00 P.M.
Annoyed by the delay, Baba got upset with Chanji and Vishnu, declaring, "You men are quite useless! I doubt whether you gave Deshmukh proper directions."
Chanji replied, "Correct directions were sent to him, but it is possible that he has been delayed by the heavy rains."
This made Baba even more angry and he upbraided them both.
He became extremely restless and asked, "What do you gain by making me so uneasy?"
Vishnu and Chanji could not understand why Baba was so upset.
Baba added bitterly, "I do not want to see Deshmukh now. If he comes, tell him to go away. Let him die!"
After a while, Baba ordered, "Somehow or other, bring Deshmukh here at 3:30 P.M. "
Chanji and Vishnu did not know where Deshmukh was staying in Nasik.
Vishnu was wondering what to do, when Baba told him, "On second thought, bring him here at 2:30. If you do not, Deshmukh will die!"
Vishnu still had no idea where Deshmukh was.
Baba took him to task, "Why are you sitting here? Go fetch him!"
Vishnu left and tried to find Deshmukh by visiting the houses of a few Brahmin families in Nasik. Luckily, he found Deshmukh staying in one of these homes and brought him to Baba at exactly 2:30 P.M.
Soon afterward, all traffic on the Godavri Bridge was brought to a standstill. The heavy rains had caused floods and the bridge was in danger of being washed out. The police had placed roadblocks across the road leading to the bridge. Had Deshmukh failed to appear at 2:30, he would not have been able to meet Baba. It was Baba's nazar that made him cross the bridge before it was closed. Only then did Chanji and Vishnu grasp the significance of Baba's foul mood and anxiousness over Deshmukh's arrival.