Baily's mother in a choked voice related, "From this moment on, I am handing over my son, Baily, to you. I know I am not going to live long. I have only one lingering worry and that is, who will look after him after I die? His nature is so irritable; he is stubborn, short-tempered and is always fighting with someone or the other. Who except you can tolerate such a person? Accept him now as your disciple. Look after him as his mother and father. Please forgive him for his weaknesses. Do not take cognizance of his short-tempered nature. Show mercy on him. From this day, I relinquish my right as his mother and I surrender him to you. If you can accept this request of mine then I can die in peace, and as long as I live, I can sleep peacefully."
Baba very tenderly and patiently told her, "From now onwards, you need not worry about Baily at all.
I had taken over his full charge even before you asked this from me. Baily himself has promised his complete surrenderance to me. I, too, give you my promise that I will always take care of him and keep him happy. Now you may go without any anxiety. We should be reaching Chinchwad before dawn. It is not advisable for you to remain outside for a long time in the middle of the night. So now please return. Khuda Hafiz [God be with you]."
Out of his boundless compassion, Baba had used the excuse of needing an extra lantern in order to give darshan to Baily's mother.
Baba and the group then started their walking journey on the road to Bombay. The number of men accompanying Meher Baba totaled 45: 22 were Hindus, 12 were Muslims, and 11 were Zoroastrians.1 Upasni Maharaj had sent Yeshwant Rao from Sakori to join the group on the journey, which they called "a pilgrimage."
They walked in rows four abreast. Baba ordered Gustadji to make certain everyone kept in line. Gustadji had to walk back and forth telling the men to stay in line and consequently he tired more quickly. Behramji had been overworked for some days and was so exhausted that he would actually fall asleep while walking; every now and then, the sitar he was carrying would slip and fall to the ground. Gustadji would reprimand him, but soon Behramji would succumb to fatigue again.
After four hours, they arrived at the village of Chinchwad. Baily's nephew Marzban had arranged for them to stay in a bungalow that he managed opposite the railway station.
Footnotes
- 1.Among the men who walked with Baba from Poona to Bombay were: Abdur Rehman, Adi Sr. (age 19), Ahmed Abbas (Khak Saheb, 29), Arjun (27), Asar Saheb, Babu Cyclewalla (22), Baily (28), Bala Tambat, Behramji (30), Chowdhary, Faredoon (Padri, 18), Gangaram, Ghani (28), Gustadji (32), Jadhav, Jal (20), Kondiram, Madho Gauhane (14), Masaji (55), Nervous, Ramjoo (24), Rustom K. Irani (23), Rustom Jafrabadi (Baidul, 32), Sadashiv Patil (33), Sarosh (19), Sayyed Jamadar, Sayyed Saheb, Slamson (22), Vithal.