Except for a walk with one of his friends, Merwan spent more and more of his time alone in his tiny attic-room cooped up in the dark — aloof and uncommunicative with his family. Once, however, he left the house without saying where he was going and went to the village of Kondhwa outside of Poona (beyond the Zoroastrian Tower of Silence). There he lay motionless like a corpse under a tree for three days and nights without food or water. The family, thinking he had become lost in the city, was extremely relieved when Merwan returned.
Having exhausted all available means to return their son to normality, Merwan's parents decided that a change of environment might help and sent him to Bombay for a few months to stay with his brother Jamshed, who was working as a clerk in the Bombay municipality office. Jamshed had rented a room opposite the zoo at Victoria Gardens in the Byculla area. In his letters home, Jamshed would often complain of feeling lonely and isolated in Bombay, so he welcomed Merwan and watched carefully over him. When Jamshed went to the office, Merwan would go to the seashore at Chowpatty beach early each morning; there he would sit for several hours and watch the waves roll in and recede — usually until the afternoon. Then Merwan would walk back to Victoria Gardens and again sit for hours. He would sit on one particular bench in an isolated area of the public gardens, away from the other benches and pedestrians. He would remain there alone until evening, when Jamshed would arrive and accompany him back to the room.
As mentioned, Merwan's aunt and uncle Banu Masi and Khodadad Masa were living in Bombay at this time with their family. Before starting his work in his teashop, Khodadad Masa would come to Victoria Gardens to see Merwan. Holding Merwan's hand, he would place it on his own head in blessing, as an auspicious way to begin the day. Such was the love and respect Khodadad had for his nephew; he sensed that he was not an ordinary young man.
For some weeks, Merwan followed this routine every day undisturbed. One day, however, his favorite bench in the gardens was occupied by a Parsi family. Merwan started nervously walking back and forth. He strode swiftly up to the people on the bench, turned around abruptly and walked quickly in the opposite direction; then again strode up to them and suddenly turned around when he got near.