"But what am I to do?"
"If you could just check and see if these letters were delivered. It would be most kind of you. At least do this much."
"Are you in your right senses? What work are you doing?"
"I am handling correspondence to different places."
Looking at Bhau from head to foot, the postmaster remarked skeptically, "You seem to be educated — but you are a very strange young man!" Since Bhau's answers were vague and obscure, the postmaster thought him to be rather odd or possibly cracked!
After a while, however, he added, "All right; give me the addresses of the senders. As soon as the letters are received, I will send them to you with a special messenger." Bhau gave him both addresses and came back to report to Baba.
Baba replied ominously, "If the letters do not arrive tomorrow, I will hold you responsible!"
But the next day, Baba did not ask about the letters, and something new was introduced. Bhau was going to the post office daily at 3:00 P.M., as the only clearance from Satara was at four o'clock. But that day, Baba sent for him at 9:00 A.M. and told him to go immediately and post a letter.
Bhau went, mailed it, and on his return, Baba gave him another letter, saying, "This is also very important and needs to be dispatched at once. Go mail it immediately!"
Bhau reasoned, "What is the use in posting it now? It will not go out any sooner, as there's only one clearance at 4:00 P.M.!"
"Are you telling me something new?" Baba asked, peeved. "Don't I know that? Do as I tell you."
From that day on, Baba began sending Bhau to the post office to mail one letter after another, and only much later did Bhau realize that it was Baba's method of destroying the gymnastics of his intellect.
Baba utilized another medium to teach Bhau the same lesson. During his seclusion, Baba was drinking plain Duke's soda water instead of water, and Bhau had to bring the aerated bottles from the market. He would go on foot, and a laborer was hired to carry the crate. Satara received a consignment of these carbonated drinks once a month from Rogers & Company of Bombay, and as soon as they were received, all were purchased by the restaurants and hotels in the area. Bhau would buy the required number for one month at a time from a wholesaler. The required number of soda bottles was not available, even at a higher price, from any single retail outlet.