All of them — not to mention the luggage, trunks and some furniture — were crammed into two special railway cars.
As for the other men: Adi Sr., Ghani, Naoroji, Padri, Masaji, Murli, Chhagan (and his wife Shanta) and Sidhu (his pregnant wife Radha and their epileptic child) remained in Bangalore; Swamiji returned to his home in Madras; Don, Nilu, Kaka, Jalbhai and Chanji (off and on) had been with Baba since he left Bangalore.
In accordance with the circular, on Wednesday, 8 May, Baba and the whole of both the men and women mandali at Meherabad and Bangalore fasted, and Baba fed the poor and distributed sweets.
The following day, Baba stated: "I want to open twelve centers throughout India before I speak. Of these, six have already been established: at Meherabad, Nasik, Toka, Madras, Byramangala and Mandla.
"For the remaining six, different places around India are still to be selected. That was one of the objects of my last tour."
As soon as Baba set foot in Meherabad, he paid strict attention to and arranged everything in the ashram. He expressed his intention of going into seclusion from the 1st of June, for "reasons of internal working." This coincided with events in the war. News on the war front in Europe was distressing. On 10 May 1940, vast forces of the German army swept into neutral Belgium, Luxembourg, Holland and France, and within a month had captured all of those countries.
The Master's darshan had not been available for a long time, as Baba had been in Bangalore and touring. When his return to Meherabad became known, followers nearby began writing to ask permission to come for his darshan. Baba therefore granted darshan on Wednesday, 15 May, for a day. From Bombay, Chanji brought 35 lovers. Despite the intense heat of summer, Baba met everyone individually. The ladies were taken up the hill for tea with the women mandali, and then all were sent away on the five o'clock train.
Dr. Deshmukh arrived from Nagpur on the 16th, and Baba allowed him to stay in Meherabad for two weeks, after which Deshmukh went on a lecture tour, speaking about Baba at various places in India.
Once, in talking with Deshmukh, Baba mentioned his seclusion and the war:
I am retiring into seclusion for my work for the world. It is very important. I want to speed up situations and developments in the war.