Two days later, Baba sent them with Adi Sr. to Madras for the same purpose. On the 7th, they brought back a mast named Ghafur Shah . The mast seemed drained and lifeless by the time he arrived at the Links, but after Baba bathed him, he appeared revived. He was sent back to Madras on the 9th. That day, Adi and Jalbhai arranged a qawaali by a boy qawaal, whom Baba liked so much he wanted to hire him to sing for a month.
On the morning of the 7th, Baba received news about the purchase price of the Byramangala property. He promptly had a check sent to Sir Ismail to settle the transaction. The next day, Sampath Aiyangar arrived from Madras to discuss the center plan and offer his legal expertise.1
At half past ten o'clock at night on the 11th, Baba sent Adi Sr. and Kaka to Nasik to deal with Freiny. They were to have left the following morning, but Baba suddenly told them to depart at once. Their departure was more significant than it appeared at first. Adi and Kaka were the prime contacts with the mast Chaddarwala, who had a reluctant brief encounter with Baba nineteen days before. At almost the exact time they left Bangalore, the mast went in front of a hospital, put his finger in his mouth to vomit, and then remarked to a boy devotee, "I am going to Paradise ... Make me a bed to go to sleep." Chaddarwala then died on the pavement of the street. Baba explained that it had been necessary for the mast to meet him, for Baba to give him the final push. In fact, when the mast had arrived at the Links, he had told Kaka that his "account" was settled.
Baba wrote to Adi Sr., "Chaddarwala's death is in connection with my spiritual work for the world."
On Tuesday, 19 September 1939, the mad and masts from Meherabad arrived in Bangalore. One of the men mandali had been sent to bring them. Grass huts were erected in one corner of the Links compound to house them, and Baba began working with them, in addition to masts brought from the surrounding areas. Because of so many people occupying the bungalow and, most of all, because of the presence of the mad and masts now staying in the small huts at the back, Norina had to go next door and pacify the lady who lived there, assuring her that nothing "funny" was going on at her new neighbor's place.
Footnotes
- 1.Sampath was a former judge.