Usually Baba would travel third class, but this time he agreed. Two first–class tickets were purchased and two tickets for Baidul and Gustadji in the small "servant–class" compartment, a third–class compartment that adjoined first class for the British sahebs' and memsahebs' servants.
At one juncture a young British couple entered the first–class compartment and sat down opposite Baba and Eruch. From the time they entered, the woman kept gazing at Baba, who had wrapped his head in a scarf.
After a long time Baba nudged Eruch and gestured, "Tell her if she has something to say to speak it."
Eruch smiled at her and said, "Do you want to ask anything? Do you wish to say something?"
"May I?" she said.
Eruch looked at Baba, who gestured, "Yes, go ahead."
Without knowing to whom she was talking, she began, "I do not know why I am saying this to you, but I want to ask you something."
"Yes, speak up," Baba encouraged her.
"My husband is a government officer and whenever he goes on tour, I accompany him. But there is just one distressful thing: While we are on tour going to distant places, wherever I go snakes seem to follow me, and I am terrified of snakes. I just want to ask you, is there anything that will stop this?"
Baba gestured and spoke through Eruch, "Yes, I can tell you something for this."
"What should I do?" the woman asked.
"What you should do is this: When you get to your town, go to the bazaar and buy a locket. Take a little eggshell and burn it to ashes. Then place a pinch of the ashes in the locket and wear it all the time. That will keep away the snakes."
The woman gratefully accepted this solution, and her husband also nodded indulgently. Eruch now realized that Baba had only consented to travel first class, not for the sake of comfort, but to contact these young foreigners, in whose "share" it was to meet him.
In Ajmer, Baba contacted eleven masts in two days, including such luminaries as Socrates and Chacha. Baba sat with Chacha for four continuous hours during this visit. Chacha not only asked for tea numerous times, but also kept asking for water. Two water carriers were hired just to keep him supplied. Chacha also ate three meals in Baba's presence. Eight very poor people in Ajmer were brought to Baba, and he gave each of them one rupee.