I woke up again at about 1:00 A.M. and when I looked toward Baba's mattress, he was not there. The bed sheet was lying aside in an uneven position. I got up and noticed that the door was locked from inside in the same position as I had left it. How was this possible? I thought that Baba had gone out of the Jhopdi to relieve himself or for some other reason, but then how did he pass through the door without disturbing the stopper? Did he leave via the air, or wind? This was just too much for me.
With a throbbing heart and trembling hands I opened the door of the Jhopdi. Standing there in the darkness, I looked all around. Not seeing Baba anywhere, I mustered all of my courage and started calling out his name softly. Failing to get any response, I started saying, "Baba, Baba," in a slightly raised voice, but still I could not find anything except peace and quietude. I suddenly remembered Baba's words spoken at the time when we first came to the Jhopdi. He said, "At times it may happen that you may suddenly wake up in the middle of the night and do not find me on my mattress.
At such a time, you should not get worried or concerned. You should not go out in search of me leaving the Jhopdi. Just lie down on your bed and have a peaceful sleep, or sit for your writing. Do not forget this."
What happened now was exactly as he had said, so I closed the door of the Jhopdi, locked it from the inside and went back to bed. I was now not concerned and worried for Baba, but instead for myself. I started getting frightened. In such a state, I could neither go back to sleep nor sit up and write. I became more and more nervous and, not knowing what to do, I started taking Baba's name. I dozed off and when at four o'clock I once again woke up with a start, my gaze fell on Baba's mattress to find him lying peacefully covered with the sheet over his head as usual. Tears of joy flowed from my eyes. My emotional state at that time was that of a child meeting his mother after being separated for a few hours.
In the morning when I narrated this incident in great detail to Baba, he expressed ignorance about the whole thing and quickly changed the topic of discussion.