Baba had gone to Nasik on 12 July.1 Three days later, he left by car for Bombay to acquire the necessary travel documents — a new passport, visas, and ship tickets. Adi Sr., Norina, Rano, Elizabeth and Rustom's second son Falu, who was going to England for his studies, went with him. They reached Bombay at noon and Baba ate at Kaka's and stayed there with Adi and Falu. (The meal and Baba's room had not been kept ready as the telegraph office had mistakenly written that Baba would be arriving that night.) Chanji had booked a double room at the Regent Hotel for Elizabeth and Norina, and a single for Rano.
During Baba's trip to London in November 1936, Rano and her mother Nonny had purchased a three-piece pinstripe suit for Baba. They had found a clerk Baba's height and guessed the size. It fit perfectly. On this occasion in Bombay, Rano was told to buy a pair of shoes for Baba as a gift from Nonny. She went to a shop with Norina and Elizabeth. They had to guess Baba's foot size and take them on approval. The shoes fit and Baba wore them in France.
Although Baba's visit to Bombay was kept private and only a few were informed of his presence in the city, he agreed to meet his lovers at Kaka's (the Confectioners') apartment on Saturday and Sunday mornings, 17 and 18 July. Many took advantage of the opportunity, as Chanji reported:
"NO TALK" was the strict warning given to all, yet it went on, as usual. Baba had to either ask [about an individual] or reply to questions asked. To some, he himself gave advice for certain things.
To see Baba work on a variety of things in rapid sequence one after the other for hours is to see Infinity and Wisdom at work. From important topics on business of immediate importance (for which he specially came down to Bombay) to be diverted to a thousand-and-one questions of visitors with all kinds of tales of their miseries and sufferings without end — to pacify and reply to almost each detail — is a task that requires indeed infinite patience and infinite wisdom to tackle. Masters alone could do that. One is tired [from] even watching this for hours! There are many workers by his side who take turns as and when required — yet he alone works throughout. This is true Mastery in Servitude!
Footnotes
- 1.Adi Jr. came to Bombay a few days later for his passport and visa work, so that when Baba called him to France, he would be ready to go.