It was pouring rain the day they left, and some sadhus remarked, "Let us see how Meher Baba leaves now!" But after some time, the sun began shining and Baba and the women walked across the Laxman Jhula Bridge to return to Dehra Dun. They were also helped by a boatman who knew and respected Baba. Despite the urging of the sadhus that he not cross the river to help Baba, the boatman was ready to assist the group. These sadhus had been misguiding and instigating the local populace against Meher Baba, for the simple reason that he was a stranger in that sacred Hindu place.
As Age noted ironically, "The hypocritical sadhus never dreamed that Baba was the same One whom they were worshiping and longing to see, and who was now in their midst! How could those who are blindfolded be expected to see, and recognize who he was? Although they were naked, they were not free of desire; although they were covered with ash, they were not burned to ash. Often they lived in external poverty and dirt, but they were not as the dust at the Master's feet!"
Reaching Dehra Dun by train and bus the same day, Baba and the women took up residence in the same Chander Road bungalow in which they had stayed previously. The mandali traveled from Rishikesh to Dehra Dun by hired bus, with the luggage. Although the distance was only 28 miles, it took them nearly twelve hours to arrive, due to the heavy flooding and the poor condition of the bus.
Baba had instructed Vishnu to store rice and grain for a year, as there was the possibility of it becoming scarce during wartime. Vishnu had stockpiled a sufficient amount in a room adjoining Baba's.
Some days later, Baba complained to Vishnu, "Because of your sacks of grain in the next room, hundreds of rats come and disturb me in my work. You should sell it all."
Vishnu said, "If you are disturbed, the wheat and jowar [millet] can be stored on the mandali's side. Because you wished it, it was stored in this room, though I pointed out the room is not suitable for it.
"What do you mean?" Baba asked, "It was all right to store it here then; now I want to sell it!"
Baba, for his own reasons, was anxious about disposing of the grain. It had cost quite a lot of money, but it was sold at a lower price.