ChaptersChapter 27Page 3,679

Chapter 27: Satara

1955Page 3,679 of 5,444
Monday, 21 March 1955 was the Irani New Year of Jamshed-e-Navroz. On this festival, it is customary to have a sweet, cool drink made with milk called falooda . When Baba came to Rosewood, he told Bhau to go back to Grafton to bring the drink for the mandali. Bhau thought some servant would be there to carry the large pot of liquid, but as soon as he arrived, two women servants lifted the pot onto his head. It was so heavy they had trouble lifting it.
Grafton was about 600 feet from Rosewood, and in between was the house of the property manager, Sohrabji Damania, who had deep respect for Baba. Sohrabji knew Bhau and was friendly with him. Bhau was embarrassed by doing such menial labor, and fervently hoped he would not come across Sohrabji just then. Although his neck was bent, and his shoulders ached under the weight, he was glad that today Baba was kind, in that Sohrabji was not seen on the road. But, just as he was thinking this, Sohrabji appeared from a side lane and offered his namaskar (greeting) to Bhau. Bhau felt ashamed, but Sohrabji did not linger and went on his way. Bhau began thinking that Baba had not only made him labor much, but had also made him face this awkward situation!
He arrived at Rosewood, where Pendu and Eruch lifted the burden from his head.
"Was the pot heavy?" Baba asked.
Before Bhau could reply, Eruch interposed, "It is very heavy!"
Pendu observed, "One would break his back were one to carry such a load for long."
Baba asked Bhau, "Did anyone see you on the way?"
"Only Sohrabji," Bhau lamented.
Seeing the expression on Bhau's face, the men burst out laughing, and Baba asked, "Did you feel ashamed?"
"Very much so!"
"How will you obey me if you feel ashamed by being seen by others? You will act according to the ways of the world and not according to me. He who has thought for me does not care for the world! I will see to your sense of shame in Khuldabad."
Baba then ladled out a portion of the falooda into a small pot and told Bhau to take it to Sohrabji. He did so and Sohrabji asked him, "Don't you have any servants to carry such a heavy load?"
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