When they were ready to return they could not get seats on a public bus. Although the mandali were exhausted, Baba was in the best of spirits because of the fine mast contacts he had made. By the time a private bus was hired and they were driven back to Lalitpur, it was midnight.
They again rested on the station platform, and then resumed their journey, reaching Bhopal on the 21st. On that day, however, Baba did not find the mast he wished to contact. The following day, he worked with three advanced souls. One was a mastani called Bia Mai . Another was an old mast called Nannu Mian Saheb , who was blind. Baba contacted him in the room where he had been sitting for many years. Baba also contacted a seeker called Saddiq Ali Pir , a Muslim who roamed about Bhopal.
Finally, in Bhopal, this tiring mast hunt came to an end. The mast trip in November 1945 was characterized by particularly severe hardships in traveling. As usual, it was done entirely by third–class train; and each time when they had to enter and exit from the over-crowded compartments, they had to do so through the windows!
On Friday, 23 November 1945, Baba and the mandali arrived in Poona. As previously instructed, Eruch met them at the train station with cooked food from Bindra House. Baba went to see his brother Beheram at Baba House.1
Baba walked into the family's home and greeted Perin and held one of the one-month-old twins, Sohrab, but he deliberately avoided seeing the other one, Rustom. Perin informed Baba, "Rustom has been sick ever since we returned from the hospital." Baba seemed indifferent to the news. He did not reply and continued showering his attention on Sohrab. Perin was thinking, "Why isn't Baba asking about Rustom? Why doesn't he at least go into his room and see him? He is ill. Baba should have his eye on him."
Shortly, Baba sent for Jalbhai and asked, "Do you love the children?"
Jalbhai replied, "They are my nephews, so naturally I feel love for them."
Baba put the same question to Beheram, and he said, "Of course I love them."
Baba then asked Perin, who answered, "The children are yours, Baba — though I am their mother."
Baba spelled out, "Rustom will die."
Regardless of what she had said, Perin was shocked and frightened by these words.
Footnotes
- 1.In Meher Baba's honor, in June of 1946, the name of the area where Baba House is situated was changed from Butler Mohalla to Meher Mohalla.