Upon Merwan's return to Poona, Memo again tried to find some steady employment for her son. She told Bobo that the sooner Merwan became involved with a steady job, the better he would feel and the sooner his "mental distress" would be alleviated. His mother would not leave him alone or give him a moment's relief about getting a job. This went on every day, and her pestering was a constant irritation to Merwan.
Whenever Merwan would go to Shirdi to visit Upasni Maharaj, he would not tell his mother or there would be a quarrel between them. He would confide in his maternal aunt Pila Masi, who loved him immensely.
When Merwan was a teenager, Memo had a baby (Adi) to look after and she did not like it if Merwan brought a lot of friends to the house. Pila Masi, on the other hand, loved to have Merwan bring his companions to her home, and they would come and gather on the carpet, play cards or draughts and narrate stories about Hindu and Muslim Perfect Masters, saints and miracles until late in the evening. Pila Masi and her husband Masaji had a large compound around their house where Merwan and his friends often played cricket. (It was here where Merwan and his friends had rehearsed their plays, also.) If Merwan missed coming to her house for even one day, Pila Masi would become worried. "Why hasn't Merwan come today?" she would wonder. "Something must be wrong." Therefore, whenever Merwan would leave Poona for Shirdi, he would inform his aunt where he was going, telling her not to worry and adding that he would see her as soon as he returned. Consequently, only Pila Masi would know of Merwan's whereabouts when he was not in Poona. When he would return from Shirdi, he would bring prasad for her from Upasni Maharaj.
One time, Merwan told his mother he was going to Bombay to visit Jamshed; instead he took a bus to Shirdi and stayed with Upasni Maharaj. Memo became suspicious and pestered her sister to tell her where Merwan had really gone, but Pila Masi feigned ignorance. As mentioned, Jal, Merwan's younger brother, acted as a spy for their mother. When Merwan and Jal were boys, Jal would dutifully report in detail to Memo whatever went on at Pila Masi's house. On this occasion, Jal had heard Merwan tell Pila Masi of his plans to go to Shirdi.
