Baba replied, "Yes, he would have been a very good engineer, but his life would have been miserable. So I cut it short and saved him from such unhappiness. You don't realize it, but this is my mercy for him."
Soon after, Baba returned to Meherabad. Manek Mehta had an interview with Baba at Meherabad on the 18th.
On 17 August 1943, Baba went with Adi Sr. to a film at the Arangaon Military Cinema. He went again the next day at 4:00 P.M., taking with him five ladies: Gulmai, Savak's wife Nergiz and Sidhu, Chhagan and Jangle's wives. Baba then visited Sarosh's home, Viloo Villa , in the cantonment and Dinshaw and Soona's house nearby.1 He then went to Sailor's house and also Khushru Quarters, where he spoke with Khansaheb.
Baba left from Manmad with Chanji on the Punjab Mail for Lahore on 19 August, arriving two days later.
Lahore was now so hot that all the mandali were practically spent. Vishnu had grown weak, and he and Kalemama had fever. Ghani could not stand the constant, relentless heat any longer and begged to be sent back to Lonavla, which Baba permitted.
On 22 August, Nilu humorously wrote to Adi Sr. in Ahmednagar: "It is like Dante's Inferno here! Why Baba has chosen this place no one knows ... My argument is that our sins which are still left are to be burnt up here! I think that must be the only reason ..."
On the night of 2 September 1943, seemingly to escape the heat, Baba proceeded to Srinagar, Kashmir by train with a few of the women — Mehera, Mani, Meheru and Rano — and three of the men: Chanji, Kaka and Baidul. With Chanji's help, Daulat Singh had arranged their stay in the Sam Hotel opposite Dal Lake.2 Arriving in Srinagar on the 4th, Baba began his mast contacts starting on the evening of the 6th. He went out daily with Kaka and Baidul, and made a few successful contacts there:
Nab Saheb was a very high mast, a man nearly 60 years old, who still lived with his old mother and children. When Baba met him, they exchanged hats.
Amir Saheb Mattu was an old mast, believed to be over 125 years of age. He was usually naked in all seasons, and lived in a small hut under a tree, surrounded by his pack of twelve dogs, which he usually fed before he ate his food.
Footnotes
- 1.Viloo Villa was located at 1-B Hunter Road.
- 2.Chanji had been sent to Srinagar on 22 August 1943 to make all the advance arrangements, and he had returned to Lahore on the 28th.