Since hot water was available at Mrs. Pratt's, Baba ordered the companions to take a half-hour bath in turns. There was no bathroom available, so a simple tent was pitched by their quarters. Most of the men hadn't had a proper bath since leaving Moradabad two weeks prior; they hadn't had a haircut in three months, and most had not bothered to shave. Ghani recorded in his diary:
After the ordeal of the last three months of gypsy life, sleeping in the open in all sorts of filthy and dusty places, with only one indifferent meal in 24 hours — with all rigors of the winter months to boot — the restful life in the servants' quarters of [Mrs. Pratt's] bungalow with good, regular meals was a paradise indeed!
Meals for Baba and the companions were being prepared at Kumar's home at Manjri Mafi by Kumar's mother, Jayanti (known as "Mataji"), his wife and two or three other women of the village. Kumar would bring the lunch on his motorcycle at eleven o'clock and Keki Desai would bring dinner at six in a tonga.
The first day, Kumar's motorcycle stalled on the way and every effort to restart it failed. At exactly eleven o'clock it suddenly started, but he was five minutes late.
Baba asked, "Why are you late?"
Kumar told him the reason and Baba remarked, "It's all right this time, but tomorrow be on time."
But the next day, at the same spot, the motorcycle failed again and Kumar was five minutes late. This strange occurrence continued each day for as long as Kumar was bringing food from Manjri Mafi to Baba's bungalow in Dehra Dun. He knew it was due to some inner working of Baba's. The motorcycle engine was in perfect order; but somehow at the same spot it would come to a sudden halt, and Kumar was always five minutes late. This, in fact, was Baba's doing, which turned Kumar, the tiger, into Memna , the lamb! He who had never bowed his head to another man was now eager to clean the carpets beneath his Beloved's feet.
Prior to Baba's arrival, Kumar was busy sinking a well at Manjri Mafi. To speed up the work extra laborers had been hired. Keki Desai would also go to Manjri Mafi to inspect the progress of the work. He was sleeping at Nalavala's at this time but had his meals and spent most of the day at Baba's bungalow.