Two senior police officers, named Anklesaria and Mehta, came to see Baba at the Ice Factory Bungalow on 5 August. Mehta, who was spiritually minded, was a relative of someone who had gifted a plot of land in Ahmedabad to the Ramakrishna Ashram, and he had read spiritual literature extensively.
After discussing general topics, Baba asked Mehta lovingly, "What have you gleaned after reading so much? What would you say is the substance of all the spiritual literature you've read?"
"Love and service," Mehta replied.
"Yes, it is the most valuable thing," Baba agreed.
"I also meditate," he informed Baba.
"In spiritual matters, love and service to humanity supersede meditation," Baba explained. "It is a type of spirituality that comes down from its supreme height to the daily human routine and everyday life. This is where its manifestation is the highest; it is the most practical."
On 6 August, the Meherabad women woke up at 4:00 A.M. to go to the movies. Baba, with the other women staying at Pop's, joined them at 6:00 A.M. at Sarosh Cinema to see the film Gaslight .
The next day, Baba sent a telegram to Ghani and his son-in-law, which concluded, "My love and blessings ... to sufis and goofies all over the world."
Continuing his mast work, on Sunday 8 August 1948, Baba traveled south by train from Dhond to Madras, along with Baidul, Gustadji, Chhagan, Eruch and Vishnu. Reaching there, he commenced his contacts on the 10th. In Royapuram, a section of Madras, Baba worked with Kalgiri Pir, who was staying in the house of a wealthy Parsi. Kalgiri was in the habit of giving loaves of bread to those who came to him. He gave Baba two fresh loaves, wrapped in dirty old newspaper. A normal person would have thrown the lot away at the first opportunity, but for Baba its value and sweetness were beneath the surface — and later he ate every morsel!
Baba also once again contacted the spiritual chargeman of Madras, Maulvi Saheb, who presented Baba with seven unripe mangoes.
Baba remarked, "Because these are my last contacts with many of these masts, some of them are giving me presents."
Baba ate the sour mangoes and after the skins had dried, he ate them, too. He had the pits carefully preserved, and after he returned to Pimpalgaon they were planted in seed-boxes. Baba watered them himself for some time, and after the seeds had sprouted and grown a bit, they were transplanted into the ground and later began bearing delicious fruit.