On Wednesday, 1 January 1958, Baba distributed jalebis for New Year's and had the women sing arti. He also sent for Pendu, Padri, Vishnu and Don from Meherabad, and Adi, Feram, Dhake, Bal Natu and Deshmukh from Ahmednagar. At 10:00 A.M. Kaikobad offered prayers as Baba directed, and Baba laid his head on the feet of each man present. After discussing various details for the upcoming sahavas, those called left Meherazad.
The previous September, Franey Irani, wife of Baba's brother Adi Jr., had given birth to a baby girl, whom they named Shireen. Franey brought the baby from London to India, and came to Meherazad on the 4th to show her to Baba. He took the infant on his lap, played with her and kissed her.
The Ranji Trophy cricket match, a national tournament, was played in Wadia Park in Ahmednagar from the 7th to the 9th of January, and Baba went the first two days to watch the teams play. He was able to watch most of the first day's match from the second floor of the Zilla Parishad (City Council) building overlooking the stadium, but the next day, the district superintendent of police spotted him in the spectators' lounge and went to meet him. A crowd collected, and since Baba could not enjoy the cricket match in peace, he decided to leave early. Before leaving, Baba presented a donation of Rs.100 to Nagesh Davre, the secretary of the Ahmednagar District Cricket Association.1
Work for the sahavas was now going at full speed as correspondence from the East and West poured in. Baba's leg and hip were still paining, with occasional spasms, but as Adi Sr. noted in his diary, "Baba goes on with the work relentlessly, irrespective of the pain and discomfort, and keeps sitting all the time" to listen to correspondence and issue instructions. Adi and Feram were kept constantly busy in their office fielding inquiries and relaying Baba's wishes. In addition, Adi went to Sakori several times to convey messages to Godavri Mai about her visit to the sahavas. At Meherazad, Mani replied to letters received from the West. Eruch and Bhau answered those letters received from the East. (Eruch answered those in English and Bhau those in Hindi.) The volume of mail had dramatically increased of late.
One of those who wrote to Baba at this time was a filmmaker from Dehra Dun, named Prakash Chhabra. Chhabra wished to film Baba at the sahavas and to that end had contacted Sorabji Siganporia about this, who had also written to Baba requesting him to accede to Chhabra's desire. Baba agreed and on 20 January, Baba dictated a message for the film.
Footnotes
- 1.On the 8 th, Baba spotted a local mast and took him in the car back to Meherazad for a few hours.