“”While giving prasad, he would pat some children, asking, "Do you like school? ... Do you play marbles? ... Do you fly kites?"
After giving prasad to the 200 boys, Baba had five more children called, to whom he also handed prasad. He gave sweets to some other children present as well.
After finishing the program at noon, Baba, leaning on Eruch and Meherjee's arms, walked to his room, where he called certain ones.
“”"It is rare these days that I have time to be with my lovers," he remarked. "Whenever I go out anywhere I am surrounded on all sides by people waiting for my darshan. But today I am at last able to sit peacefully among a few of you."
Baba directed the bhajan group to entertain him with ghazals. Madhusudan and Subhadra sang, and Baba had Aloba read a ghazal of the poet Jigar, which Baba explained.
“”He praised one singer and then immediately said, "Whom do I praise? I am the singer and I am the song! I am the tabla and I am the tabalchi [tabla player]! I am in the harmonium and I myself am it! And I am the sound that emanates from it! I am everything and I am everywhere! Now whom should I praise? I praise myself alone!"
In the course of the day, he remarked, "I am the Ocean ... I am the Ancient One ... I am eternal!"
After the arti was performed, all returned to their homes.
During the New Life, when Baba was in Mahabaleshwar in 1950, the Kashmiri merchant Habibullah Baig had come to see him.
“”At that time Baba had remarked to him, "You will be my neighbor."
Habibullah had not understood what Baba meant, but sometime later, as related, he opened a small shop in Poona. A few years later, the proprietor of the Kashmir Store, where he had previously been employed, wanted to sell his business, and Habibullah bought it. The store was a few streets away from Baba House, and in this way he became Baba's "neighbor."
During Baba's stay in Poona, he visited Habibullah at the Kashmir Store.
“”He reminded him of what he had said years before, adding, "Now that you have become my neighbor, do not forget me!"
In 1950, Habibullah had been practically penniless, but as the business prospered over the years he became a millionaire. Regarding his prosperity, he was convinced that it was all due to Baba's grace. His love for Baba increased over the years and he held firmly to his faith in Baba's divinity.
