Baba often visited Khushru Quarters and Amir's house in Ahmednagar. On 4 September he went to Akbar Press for dinner, where he gave darshan to Yeshwant Rao and to Minoo Bharucha and his wife.
According to Baba's already announced plan, the women had been divided into groups. Baba went again to Pimpalgaon on 5 September to inspect the construction work that was still going on there. Ramjoo met Baba on the 6th, and he met visitors to Meherabad on the 7th, including Nargis Dadachanji, Nariman, Sarosh and Waman Subnis.
As Age relates, "With the flowering of Meherabad Garden in spring, there was also the autumn defoliation when the Beloved would leave. The blossoms would smile at his arrival and then weep at his departure, as alternating joy and pain shadowed their lives. But those hearts that had drunk Wine remained joyful. The life of Wine is always like this, where tears of pain provide delight, and without them, no one feels happy! "
After arranging matters in Meherabad, Baba moved to Pimpalgaon on 10 September 1947, sleeping at night at Ratanshah Gyara's cottage nearby. Mehera, Mani, Meheru, Goher, Walu, Norina and Elizabeth went with him, as did Don, Kaka, Krishna and an eighteen-year-old Gurkha servant boy named Chandrabhan Meherabad. Kaka did the marketing in the bazaar for the Pimpalgaon ashram. Don was writing The Wayfarers and Mani was typing the manuscript. A young servant woman named Lakshi was the main cook, but Kaka continued to prepare special non-spicy food for Norina and Elizabeth.
Besides Foundy, three other dogs lived at Pimpalgaon: Daney , a black Great Dane pup Baba gave Elizabeth, and Banjo , a small dachshund given by Sarosh. Mani's Scottish terrier, Cracker, was at Meherazad, but was sent to Meherabad some months later.1
Adi Sr. made multiple trips back and forth to Baba's new residence, bringing building materials, the daily Times of India and supplies. On 13 September, Adi drove Baba and some of the women to Sarosh Cinema in his car and Elizabeth drove the other women in her DeSoto. That afternoon, Ramjoo, Adi Jr., Rusi Pop and Pendu saw Baba at Pimpalgaon. Eruch and Jalbhai came on the 15th for a day, and Baily met Baba the following day.
There were nearly 100 people staying at Meherabad at this time, including the few women and men at Pimpalgaon.2
Footnotes
- 1.Cracker was killed by wild dogs on 14 or 15 May 1949 and was buried on Meherabad Hill. Daney was given away at the time of the New Life, to someone in Bombay.
- 2.Among the men and boys were: Adi Kotwal, 10, Ali Shah, 64, Anna 104, 58, Annasaheb Kale, 73, Babadas (a frequent visitor), Baidul, 57, Beheram "Bakku" Irani, 22 (Sailor Mama's son), Chhagan, 40 (and his family), Don, 35, Kaikobad, 56, Feram Workingboxwala, 47, Ghani, 56 (a frequent visitor), Gustadji, 57, Vishnu, 43, Jamadar, 54, Jangle, 32 (and his family), Eruch, 31 (also often in Poona), Kaka Baria, 56, Kalemama, 71, Khak Saheb, 60, Krishna Nair, 22, Kuppuswami (left Meherabad before December 1947), Sidhu, 45, Mohammed Mast, 32, Murli Kale, 28, Nilu, 43, Padri, 43, Pendu, 43, Rashid, 17, Sailor Mama, 56, Savak Kotwal, 43, Soli Kotwal 33 (Savak's brother), Homi (Kharmen Masi's eldest son, for a short time), Sarosh (Kharmen Masi's second son for a short time), Merwan (Kharmen Masi's youngest son for a short time). Women and girls: Mehera, 39, Mani, 28, Meheru, 20, Goher, 32, Gulu Dastur, 23, Hilla Kotwal, 16, Indu Bhokre, 23 (for a short time), Jalu Dastur, 20, Jerbai Dastur, 48, Kakubai, 60, Naja, 39, Najoo Kotwal, 19, Nergiz Kotwal, 38, Norina, 67, Soltoon, 47, Pilamai, 52, Rano, 45, Katie, 26, Kharmen Masi, 53, Khorshed, 37, Kitty, 55, Dowla, 24, Mansari, 38, Banubai Lakdawala, 58, Elizabeth, 51, Meheru Dastur, 25, Sarwar, 19, Silla Hormuzd, 26, Soonamasi, 62, Walu, 48.