They arrived at Trichinopoly at 10:00 P.M. and settled into a hotel for the night. The next morning, the group set out with Baba in a taxi to contact the mast Yusuf Mastan . Baba waited in the car while the men went inside a Mohammedan inn where the mast was sitting, to ask him to accompany them back to their hotel, where Baba could bathe and feed him. The mast agreed and returned to the hotel with Baba. Yusuf was very happy and allowed Baba to wash and feed him. They asked the mast to come back to Bangalore with them and to this he also agreed. Baba said that they would take him with them on their way back. The mandali took Yusuf back to his hotel, while Baba waited with Krishna. When they returned, Baba informed them that his work in Trichinopoly was finished and they must leave for the town of Nagapattinam.
They left by taxi at 4:00 P.M. and, because of all their bedding and suitcases, they were very cramped during the journey, which took eleven hours to drive just 80 miles. There had been heavy rains the previous week, so several times they had to get out of the car and walk over damaged bridges. In the evening the taxi had a flat tire. While it was being fixed, they took the opportunity of the delay to have their dinner and talk pleasantly with Baba while seated under a tree. Despite the inconveniences and hardships, Baba was in a splendid mood. Sitting with him under a full moon, surrounded by lush green rice fields, left a lasting impression.
Driving through the night, they arrived in Nagapattinam at 3:00 A.M. on the 28th, and went straight to the railway station, where all slept on the platform. Kaka was sent to bring Moti Baba , a high mast of the sixth plane, to a hotel. The mast arrived, but becoming restless, he left before Baba had a chance to bathe him, saying he would come back later. Jal brought the mast back to Baba in the evening, and Baba proceeded to bathe and feed him.1
Footnotes
- 1.When Eruch, Kaka and Jal had contacted Moti Baba on their earlier trip, he was not home and they had to wait for him to return. When he did so, they asked if he would come to Bangalore with them and, without their having mentioned Baba's name, the mast replied, "I have just been on foot to Meher Baba and am returning from there [more than 250 miles one way], so I am tired. You can go now."