Upasni, with many of his followers, graced the occasion and sent word for Merwanji to meet him there. It was during this occasion that Merwanji first met a 27-year-old disciple of Upasni's named Gustad Nusserwanji Hansotia . During their conversation, Merwanji's remarkable insights made a deep impression upon Gustadji and he wanted to know more of what Merwanji had to say about spiritual matters. However, Merwanji left Bombay that same day, much to Gustadji's disappointment.
After the partnership with Behramji was canceled, Merwanji again focused his energies on his father's toddyshop, working regularly for two hours each day. As usual, he continued visiting Babajan every evening. During the day he would find a secluded place to continue his grim practice of pounding his forehead for hours at a time on a stone. He continued to conceal the resulting wound with a large kerchief or hand towel.
One day in the toddyshop, Merwanji composed the following ghazal dedicated to Babajan, to whom it was also read. It was written using both Hindi and Urdu and later translated:
O Beloved Master! I am eternally grateful to you.
If I had a hundred thousand lives —
I would sacrifice every one of them at your feet.
You drowned me in the Eternal Ocean of Oneness
And transformed me into an Ocean like yourself.
In the twinkling of an eye, you made a lover into God —
And God I have become!
O Emperor of Masters! O Ocean of Mercy!
O Perfection personified, Sadguru!
If your merciful glance falls on anyone —
A beggar turns into a king!
Gods, goddesses, angels, celestial beings, and men
Are all awed by the brilliance of your divinity!
O Enlightened Master of the three worlds!
Even if I were to transform my body into the sandals of your feet,
It would be nothing in comparison with what you have done for Merwan!
After the onset of the First World War, Baily, who was then living in Bombay working in an Irani restaurant, had enlisted in the British-Indian navy. His duties as a "storekeeper" took him to England, France, Greece, Egypt and Arabia. While he was out of the country, Baily maintained his friendship with Merwan through correspondence. Baily would read Merwanji's letters not once but many times. Poems from Merwan were often included.
Often, when Baily's ship docked in Bombay, Merwan was waiting to meet him. Baily related:
During my total field service of three years (one and half years of sailing on the sea and another on land duty at Aden), I maintained my correspondence with Merwan through letters. And the moment my steamer would anchor at Bombay Port, Merwan would especially come and visit me on the steamer. Merwan would keep tabs from the daily newspapers about the arrival and departure of steamers, and as soon as the announcement of the arrival of my ship Syria would appear, he would come and wait at the docks beforehand. At times he would come in the company of Jamshed, but mostly he would come alone. He would have tea, breakfast and lunch with me on the steamer. In the evening, after obtaining leave for a few hours from my superiors, we both would go and fetch Jamshed from his small room at Byculla, and after spending some time together we would depart to our respective destinations.
Once it so happened that for some reason, either there was a delay on my part in replying to Merwan's letter or maybe I received his letter late, I cannot say for sure. But because of this delay, Merwan becoming anxious, sent me a simple postcard, and when that postcard was received by me, I saw only a rhyme consisting of these two lines:
Intejaari se dil hota hai kabaab, Bhej pyare Baily jaldi kuch jawaab. [While waiting, my heart is becoming a kabob, Dear Baily, quickly send a reply.]
In two lines Merwan encapsulated all his feelings: his sense of humor, his love, his longing to hear from me, together with his request to send a reply soon. I must have read these lines hundreds of times over the years.
After several years, Baily became tired of his life at sea and applied for a land position. His application was accepted, and he obtained leave for one month and came to Poona.