After a long debate, Baba remarked, "Such things give me a headache. I permitted you to go out, and now, whether you are right or wrong in what you say, it has become a major headache for me."
All of the mandali replied, "So we won't go out."
"I don't mind if you go out, but I don't want any headaches. How to ensure this?"
Eventually, the permission was rescinded, and this was what, in fact, Baba wanted all along! He did not like the mandali moving about freely and wished to cancel the privilege.
Baba complained, "How troubled I am now! Aloba is so infuriated he wants to fight Vishnu. If his temper does not cool down, there will surely be a fistfight. This is the result of my allowing you to go out. Now, how should I deal with Aloba?"
Eruch suggested, half-joking, "Send him to Mahabaleshwar for a few days where it is cool. He will also cool down by then."
"His going alone is not safe," Baba replied seriously. "In his excited condition, he is liable to do anything."
The result was that Eruch (who himself was secretly longing for "a break") accompanied Aloba to Mahabaleshwar for a short stay. This entire episode was nothing more than an excuse for Baba to stop the mandali's going out of Rosewood — and the ruse worked quite well.
On Wednesday, 16 March 1955, Baba fasted for 24 hours, taking only a cup of milkless coffee during that time. Baba wished to return to Khuldabad for the purpose of his inner work, and Adi Sr.'s brother-in-law, Dr. Ranade of Aurangabad, was instructed to reserve the guest house there for three weeks. Whenever Baba went to Aurangabad or Khuldabad, Dr. Ranade would make all the required reservations for his accommodation. Preparations for going to Khuldabad began, and Kumar was called from Dehra Dun and arrived on the 16th.
On the 18th morning, Baba signed approximately 500 title pages of the book God Speaks , soon to be published in America.1 As Mani described (in a letter to Max Haefliger), "He signed it all in one morning — with such speed it was all that four of us could do to keep up with him — whisking off one page, sliding in the next, et cetera."
Footnotes
- 1.The signing of the title pages was to raise funds to pay for the printing of the book. Although Dodd, Mead of New York was the publishing company, Sufism Reoriented and other donors financed God Speaks. The initial price of the book was $5.00 and $25 for an autographed copy.