When Deshmukh was being served refreshments, Pendu ran out to grab them away. Deshmukh escaped with his plate intact and told Bhau, "Everyone except Pendu seems to be like jamali masts. Pendu has become jalali!"
"They have been like this for two days, now," Bhau informed him, "and I have to look after them."
Baba came to the mandali's bungalow and all sat before him as usual. No one had breathed a word of their joke to Baba.
He asked Deshmukh, "Did the mandali talk with you?"
"No Baba," Deshmukh started to say, "They ..."
But Baba interrupted, gesturing, "Don't think about it. They are not normal. I am speaking with you. What more do you want?"
The mandali were afraid that when Deshmukh told Baba, he would be displeased. But when Baba assured Deshmukh that they were "not normal," they relaxed. Deshmukh took this to be Baba's confirmation and now firmly believed that the men had turned into masts.
Baba began conversing with Deshmukh, who mentioned his wife, Indumati.
Baba signaled to Bhau, "When he takes her name, stick him with a pin!"
Baba then asked Deshmukh, "What were you saying?"
"Nothing Baba," he said. "Bhau has a pin in his hand; otherwise, I would have told you."
"If you get pricked for Indu's sake, what harm is there? Tell me what you were going to say."
Deshmukh began laughing. He was really Baba's playmate and Baba would always tease and have a humorous time with him.
Later Baba told Bhau, "Shout loudly for Indupati [Indu's husband] to come."
Bhau shouted and Deshmukh came running.
"What did Bhau call you?" Baba asked him.
"I am afraid of his pin," Deshmukh said. "I cannot tell you." This again made Baba laugh.
People in the area were eager to hear about Meher Baba and public lectures were arranged at Dehra Dun, Chuharpur and Raipur. Baba sent Deshmukh and Bhau to deliver the talks. A gathering of 5,000 was present in Raipur when the microphone went dead. Deshmukh expressed his inability to deliver his speech without it, but Bhau spoke, and in Deshmukh's place Bal Kisan stood up to speak. He had a powerful, ringing voice and began: "Brothers and sisters, Jai Baba! You all know what I am going to say, so what's the use in saying it! All right: Avatar Meher Baba ki jai!"