On the 30th, to celebrate Mehera's birthday, Baba took the women to the Gheun Deolali dak bungalow, not far from Meherazad. Adi Sr. brought Gulmai, Meheru Damania and Jibboo, along with the food (prepared by Chhagan). They had a delicious pulao for lunch (rice mixed with vegetables), and just when all were feeling drowsy and were about to lie down for a nap, Baba called everyone for games.
On Friday, 31 December, Baba gave darshan in the morning in a decorated office room at Khushru Quarters, Ahmednagar. Baba sat in a chair behind a rope, which had been tied across the room. All were instructed not to touch Baba or to bow down to him. Families were first called inside separately and told to sit on mats on the floor. Adi Sr. interpreted the board. Minoo Kharas had come with his small group from Karachi, which included Minoo's fiancée Freni and her father Kaikhushru Patel, Minoo's sister, Dina Patel, Gulu and Khorshed Shroff and Mr. and Mrs. Mahiar Dubash. Homi Desai of Lahore, Deshmukh from Nagpur, Nariman and Meherjee from Bombay, and other out-of-town close followers were also present, as well as about 400 from Ahmednagar. Elizabeth and Norina also came, and they enjoyed meeting everyone again.
Like many in the Karachi group, Burjor Rajkotwalla and his daughter Dolly Arjani had learned of Baba from a series of public lectures given by Manek Mehta in Karachi in the mid-1940s. But this was their first personal meeting. Dolly had brought her eight-month-old son.
Baba kept asking Dolly, "Do you have anything to tell me? Do you have any questions to ask me?"
Dolly kept replying no, thinking Baba knows everything, so why should she ask anything?
Baba observed, "She is not asking me for anything, but in fact she has asked me for everything."
Adi Dubash had also come from Karachi with his mother Naize, his wife Rhoda and their one-and-a-half-year-old son, whom Baba had named Merwan. The child had just begun talking, and, as he was walking around the room, he loudly shouted, "BABA!"
All were surprised, and Baba commented, "There! Of the many on the 'waiting list,' I have selected him!"
After the families had met Baba, the rope was removed and everyone was permitted to garland Baba, take his darshan and embrace him.
Because of all the bloodshed and bitter feuding between India and Pakistan, Baba's close lovers had been warned to keep away from politics and aloof from the mêlée. A circular was issued on Saturday, 1 January 1949, for those in Baba's contact, warning them that 1949 would be a year of tests and troubles for all, and of a "great personal disaster" for himself. Baba continued by ordering:
All disciples and devotees to be more engrossed in God than in maya, by being less selfish and more sacrificing.
The year 1949 marks an artificial end to an artificial beginning, and the Real beginning to the Real end!
Although I am in everyone and in everything, and my work is for the spiritual awakening of all mankind, I am always aloof from politics of any kind. My disciples and devotees should continue as before to abstain from taking part in political activities or discussion.
His lovers were also ordered not to correspond with Baba from the 1st of February until the end of the year, and to remain silent during the whole month of July.
To those who relied on Baba for financial support, a confidential circular was issued in February stating: "It is better to avoid a sudden stoppage of all means of support for an indefinite period for everyone. In order to ensure the continuation of the minimum possible facilities right to the end of 1949, drastic cuts and reductions are unavoidable."