Babu had been hired by Baba to sing before the masts and mad to entertain them and keep them in a congenial mood. Most loved listening to music, and some of the more eccentric inmates liked Babu's singing so much they would mimic his songs throughout the day. One evening Babu sang this new ghazal before Baba which made him laugh. Baba inquired who the illustrious composer was and how it had come to be penned. Thus the whole story of Baidul's daily pumpkin menu and Ghani's satirical attack on it came to light. But even this ribbing left Baidul unaffected, and he went on cooking pumpkin. Baba, however, soon intervened and advised him to cook different vegetables each day. Ghani's ghazal had meanwhile earned such fame that it began being sung in Rahuri Village.
One day in Rahuri, in an exceptionally good mood, Baba himself composed this rhyme, which he said described Raosaheb in its first couplet, and Ghani in the second:
Lived ever there a man, who did nothing but grumble,
Who always acted proud, although he appeared humble.
Whose body sought all comforts, but whose mind was all a jumble,
Who never saw a hole in which he did not tumble.
On 12 March 1937, Baba found out that Ghani was studying a book to learn how to read people's minds.
In a teasing mood, Baba asked him, "What will you do when you learn this?"
Ghani replied, "I will go to Japan and earn a lot of money."
Baba spelled out, "Your idea is splendid, but why are you so selfish? Did you ever think of helping me? I am in dire financial straits at the moment."
So Ghani said, "If you give me the power to read minds, I will give you 50 percent of whatever I earn!"
"All right," Baba agreed, "but for you to gain that power you will have to remain on milk for one year!"
Thereupon, Ghani was christened Professor Ughansi — meaning the "Lazy One."
Ghani consented to the fast, and at the Meher Mandali Maintenance Trust meeting in the evening of 16 March at Rahuri an agreement was drawn up between Baba and Ghani. Its conditions were:
For one year Dr. Ghani should take nothing but two glasses of milk — with or without sugar — one glass of tea and any amount of water every day.
He should smoke not more than five cigarettes per day.