Having completed his mast work in Bombay, Baba and the men and women mandali returned to Ahmednagar on Saturday, 20 March. From that night, Baba changed his routine and began sleeping at Rusi Pop's, rather than Gyara's. He visited the mandali at the Ice Factory during the day.
Bhagirath Tiwari, 25, had stayed with Baba for several years and, following Baba's counsel, had undergone commercial driver training in Nasik. After completing the course, he bought a truck and started his own transport business. His marriage was arranged and in February 1948 Bhagirath married a girl of fourteen named Kokila. Baba permitted the young couple to occupy part of the Ice Factory Bungalow for a few months, before they moved to Khushru Quarters. Food was being sent to the newlyweds from the mandali's kitchen, and Baba himself showed Kokila how to keep her house in order.
“”Once, when Kokila was barefooted scrubbing pots and pans outside in the compound, Baba saw her and remarked, "Kokila, learn to keep your chappals on. You'll spoil your feet by working in the mud barefooted."
Baba was showing her how to be a good housewife, and if at anytime anything were found lying amiss, Baba himself would pick it up and put it back in its proper place.
Kokila, who was only a teenager when she married, had a strong desire to finish her high school education. In her native place of Indore, she spoke Hindi, but in Ahmednagar the native language was Marathi. Consenting to her desire, Baba managed to have her admitted to school through Sarosh's influence. Baba ordered Bhagirath to take her to school every morning in a tonga and bring her back every afternoon. The other schoolgirls were inquisitive and asked Kokila who was bringing her back and forth every day. They began teasing and laughing at her so much that in the end, between their teasing and Kokila's language difficulties, her desire for studying further completely dissipated.
Baba would occasionally take the women to see a film at the Sarosh Cinema. Sarosh would arrange a special showing at 6:00 A.M. so that they would have the theater to themselves. To go to the movies with Baba proved to be a headache, as everyone had to be ready to leave by 5:00 A.M. Besides the women mandali from Meherabad, other women from Ahmednagar would be invited, including the Satha and Damania women from Akbar Press; Kokila; Rustom Kaka's wife, Silla Kaku; Gulmai, her daughter Piroja; Sarosh's wife, Viloo; Goher's mother Khorshed and others.
