God exists indeed, and true are the Prophets; Every cycle has an Avatar, and every moment has a wali. For us, however, it is only hopelessness and helplessness. How else should I tell you what our New Life is!
Vishnu had brought tomatoes from the market which were sent to the women, as they were to start cooking the next day. However, they had no idea about the quantity to be cooked. Only Naja was adept at cooking on a large scale, but she was in Bombay. Mehera had cooked before, but that was only for Baba.
In any event, they began cooking on Tuesday, 1 November 1949, but the first day they failed to prepare enough tomato chutney. Baba thought there were not enough tomatoes and blamed Vishnu. But entering the companions' hut that morning, he explained:
"I was under the impression that the shortage of the tomato chutney was due to an insufficient quantity of tomatoes. But I have since found that there were enough tomatoes in stock, and this being the first day of cooking by the ladies, who are not used to preparing meals in bulk, the proportion could not be adjusted. This lie on my part, that there were no tomatoes, is an unconscious lie and can be condoned.
"As for jokes and humor, if in indulging in them you happen to exaggerate or give some twist or false remarks with a view to entertain, they cannot be considered as lies. When I said Nilu would have to beg for food and Ghani would have to write letters near a post office for earning food, this was a joke at their expense and not a lie. But statements deliberately made and false insinuations consciously done constitute what may be termed black, brown, red or white lies."
Don appeared with Sadashiv's cabled reply saying that they were arranging a bungalow from 2 November.
From that day, Adi sang the Song of the New Life .
Baba helped the women in the kitchen and showed them how to prepare potato patties. It was a new experience for Goher to be cooking, and when she was frying the patties she wore a hat. Baba and the other women were much amused, but the doctor eventually learned to make excellent patties!
In the evening Baba stated, "The kitchen being very small, the women are much handicapped, and there is also no outlet for the smoke to escape. They are ready to cook, but they cannot. Perhaps in a day or two Kaka and Baidul will again have to do this duty."