On the 26th, Baba returned to Meherabad with all the men and women mandali. Don drove the Blue Bus, and Baba sat in the front seat with him and Nilu. At Meherabad, Baba slept on the hill and came to lower Meherabad occasionally during the day to see the mandali; the women occupied their usual quarters on the hill. Baba continued seeing Mehera and Mani, as before, and no other women.
On 27 May, Baba's mood was spoiled when he found that Don had removed his trunk of clothes from Baba's Jhopdi, where Baba had instructed that it be kept.
"I ordered you to keep your trunk there as a link with me while you are away [in the Indian Medical Service]," Baba explained.
Baba had him put the trunk back.1 Don was ordered to meditate on the Divine Theme chart from 7:00 to 8:00 P.M. daily inside the Jhopdi.
Rano asked if she could finish the Ten Circles painting at this time; and according to Baba's dictated instructions to her through Nilu, the painting was completed. On the 29th, for the first time, Baba had a fifth-plane mast from Ahmednagar brought to Meherabad, where he worked with him for a day. This was the great Ali Shah, or Bapji as he was affectionately known, who lived in a humble hovel nearby the Ahmednagar bus station off the main road. Baba would continue to work with him closely for the next four years. Ali Shah, an exceptionally pure jamali-type mast, later came to live at Meherabad.
Chanji came to Meherabad on 29 May 1943 with Kaikobad Dastur. They saw Baba the following day and it proved to be the happiest day of Kaikobad's life. He surrendered everything he had to Baba, imploring Baba to accept it. Baba fulfilled his wish but, at the same time, gave him definite instructions not to give up his job or dispose of his property immediately — to wait until November when he would call him. Kaikobad was overjoyed at the prospect of permanently staying with Baba. He left with Chanji at 4:00 P.M. the same day.
Baba brought all the mandali, men and women, from Meherabad to see a private matinee showing at Sarosh Cinema on 31 May 1943. Don was sent to Rawalpindi on 1 June to arrange bungalows for Baba and the men and women, with instructions that it be kept secret. He was unable to find anything suitable.
On Saturday, 5 June 1943, Chanji returned with Raosaheb and a party of 20 from Bombay, including Baba's aunt Piroja Mami, Meherjee Karkaria, his wife and daughter, and Dr. Alu Khambatta. Baba met each individually, and they left by 3:00 P.M.
Footnotes
- 1.Don continued to store some of his things in the Jhopdi until the end of his life.