After some time, Gadekar was transferred to Ahmednagar, where he and his family lived in Mutha's Bungalow. The family kept one room reserved specially for Baba. As the house was situated on Station Road, Baba would stop there on his way to Meherabad, but he would not inform them in advance of his visits. Once Gunatai complained to him saying, "Baba, why do you come so unexpectedly, without informing us? The house is in such a mess at times. If we knew you were coming, we could keep everything in order."
Baba smiled, gesturing, "Is this your house? This is my house. Do I have to inform you when I come to my own house?"
They showed him to his room, and Baba was pleased, but remarked, "Do you want to keep me locked up in only this one room? I want to go to each and every room."
Even the kitchen was not left out of his inspection tour.
Once Baba came to the Gadekars' house and indicated, "I want to cook for myself," and proceeded to peel potatoes and prepare them and bhujias.
On Saturday, 1 January 1944, Baba returned to Meherabad from Poona. During the next few weeks, Baba went back and forth between Meherabad and Pimpalgaon. He also went to Aurangabad by train with Adi Sr. on the night of the 3rd to find a house where he could stay with the women. They stayed for a day at a bungalow called Prem Basera, whose owner was willing to rent the house and provide food for Baba and the mandali.
Baba began staying at Pimpalgaon from 9 January, and Adi Sr. brought Mohammed Mast there for a day on the 10th. Gulmai was permitted to visit at 1:00 P.M. on the 15th.
Amir, the sweeper's son, remained at Meherabad. His mother and two sisters had been brought to Meherabad Hill to clean the women's rooms and toilets. One of the sisters, Khaja, was kept with the women mandali in grand style, similar to Amir's treatment. The other sister was there too, but she was required to do a little work for her keep. All the women had to pay respect to Khaja, who naturally enjoyed her new status.
When Khaja would visit her father's house in Ahmednagar, she would not travel by ordinary local bus. She would be sent by private tonga, driven by Sidhu, with curtains drawn on all sides. Sidhu was forbidden to look at her, and when he stopped the tonga by her house, he would go and stand some distance away until she had entered her house. Passersby thought her a girl from a very wealthy family.
Baba had sent Kalemama to Sholapur, where he found a good bungalow for this family, enclosed on all sides with bamboo matting. After things were ready, Baba sent the mother, Khaja, her sister and Amir in Adi's car to Sholapur on the 1st of February. Kalemama was kept there to look after them.1
Footnotes
- 1.Later, the family returned to Ahmednagar, where a house was procured for them.