One day, however, according to Eruch, Don was on his way to the Post Office when from a distance he spotted a disheveled, bearded figure in a long robe, who he thought was a mast. He reported this to Baba, who instructed Eruch and him to bring the person. When Don and Eruch approached the man, they were surprised to discover that it was Babadas! Baba had said to bring "the mast" to him, so he was brought and Baba chuckled at Don's mistake.
Pendu had been ordered to help Chanji in arranging for housing. He left Meherabad for Jodhpur. Don reserved two railway compartments for the group, and they prepared to leave.
The proprietor of Calicut's Ceylon Lodge was the owner of a Margo soap factory. He came to know about Meher Baba and that he was occupying his premises and wished to refund the rent, which had been paid in advance for several months. But Baba sent him word to keep it as prasad from him. Baba and his group of 42 persons departed Calicut on the afternoon of 23 December, after having stayed for two weeks.
Despite their best efforts, Chanji and Pendu had not been able to locate a house in Jaipur city and so they had gone to Jodhpur, Udaipur and Bundi to try there, as Baba had instructed. At last they found accommodations on the outskirts of Jaipur on Amber Road at a bungalow called Irani Kawasji Bagh , owned by Kawas Bala Bukshiji. The shrine of a Mohammedan saint was located in the compound.
Pendu and Chanji informed Baba, and then received Baba's telegram stating that he had left Calicut and ordering them to reserve train compartments from Agra to Jaipur. Chanji left immediately for Agra and Pendu remained behind to make all the preparations for Baba's arrival. It was extremely difficult to reserve empty compartments during the Christmas holidays, but by Baba's nazar, Chanji was successful. Baba and the group arrived in Jaipur at five o'clock Thursday evening, 26 December 1940.
The first thing Baba did on arrival was apportion individual rooms and beds to all in the group. As Age describes, "Baba was attentive to the minutest detail of the women's lives. Everyone's freedom was restricted within the limits prescribed by him. It is difficult to have an idea of just how these women were living. In some respects the limitations imposed by Baba exceeded those put on prisoners! But the Beloved's restraints, instead of binding one further, were those which served to snap the chains of bondage, and open the inner doors to Freedom.
