Masaji was in charge of preparing meals for the Muslims, Parsis and Iranis, while Chowdhary cooked for the Hindus. Gustadji, Baba's constant companion throughout the day, prepared Baba's tea. Some of the men would do the household work while the rest were away at their jobs.
Masaji would cook such delicious food, using pure ghee (clarified butter) and other costly ingredients, that the Zoroastrians and Muslims did not miss meat. Breakfast consisted of as much tea, bread and butter as one wanted; the Hindus were served tea and jalebis (an Indian sweet), which they relished. For lunch there would be rice, dal and a vegetable. In the afternoon tea was served, and the evening meal was either bread, (millet) bhakris, or (wheat) chapatis and another vegetable. To break the monotony, different types of dal and vegetables were cooked each day, so that there was variety in the vegetarian diet. And most of the meals were served by Baba personally ladling the food onto each one's tin plate.
Once during a meal, Baba began telling the men something. Most of them stopped eating to listen, but Pendu did not. Just as he was about to put some food in his mouth, Baba picked up the ladle, flung it at him and hit him in the head. From that, Pendu learned an important lesson: When the Master speaks, stop everything and listen.
Occasionally, the men were allowed to take a taxi ride through the city and were also permitted to attend the cinema and plays. The wives and children of the married mandali would be sent a monthly allowance in the form of prasad from Baba. In this manner, those men were kept free of any anxiety about their family's welfare.
All facilities and comforts were provided in Manzil-e-Meem (including mosquito nets); however, life was not all joy. The smallest, as well as the most demanding, order of Baba had to be explicitly carried out — hence no work was greater than any other. Since each man had signed away his life to the Master, no one really had any individual freedom. At times, they felt like prisoners confined within the walls of his orders and instructions. Even on their outings, the men did not feel they were enjoying freedom; the Master's nazar (watchful eye) was always on them.
One's response to the Master's call or order had to be immediate. If someone was shaving, and the Master happened to call him, for instance, he had to run to Baba without even cleaning the soap off his face. If a person were told to stand at attention, he had to remain standing until Baba told him otherwise. Similarly, if anyone were told to lie down, he had to do it immediately wherever he was, without going to his room.