Hazra's leaving the college caused much misery to his parents. After obtaining his master's degree, Sharma thought of doing the same thing, so Baba called both men to Mahabaleshwar to set them straight. He prevailed upon them not to act so foolishly. Instead, they should try to obey him, which he emphasized as the essence of spirituality.
Baba said, "There is a leper woman not far from here. If I order you to go out and have intercourse with her, would you do so?"
Hazra blushed, looked down and said he would not be able to do so. Sharma replied, "Yes, I will obey you. But I know you would not want me to do so."
Baba smiled and remarked, "Sharma, you are wise."
Baba then advised Hazra to regain his professorship, and instructed Sharma in the matter of his marriage. Both returned to Jabalpur, where Hazra got a job as a professor of English at a college, and Sharma began doing research.
In Mahabaleshwar, Baba would mostly sit in a chair on the verandah of Shapoor Hall, admiring the view and relaxing with the mandali and visitors. Since Nariman had sent his car for Baba's use, occasionally Baba would go out with either the men or women for a drive. On 28 March 1958, Baba was driven with the mandali to Pratapgarh, the hill and fort of Shivaji, which could be seen from their house.
For several days the weather became cloudy and chilly, and strong winds blew. The cool climate aggravated Baba's hip, which still pained him terribly from time to time. Baba's general health was not good at this time. He would eat very little, only once a day, and that too with difficulty, as he was not feeling well. Deshmukh had come to Mahabaleshwar and beseeched Baba to eat something more nourishing.
Baba finally said, " You tell me what I should eat!"
Deshmukh replied, "I will consider it in detail and tell you tomorrow." That night, Deshmukh spent hours drawing up a menu for Baba. It was as follows:
6:00 A.M. — Breakfast: two slices of bread buttered on both sides, two bananas, two apples, a glass of milk and two cups of tea
8:00 A.M. — One glass of pomegranate juice
10:00 A.M. — One cup of soup
11:00 A.M. — Lunch: dal and rice, two chapatis, two vegetable dishes, a tomato, yogurt, papad (cracker-like snack) and fruit
2:00 P.M. — Two cups of tea, four biscuits, two bananas, two apples, cake and pastry
6:00 P.M. — Dinner: dal and rice, chapati, vegetables, fruit salad
8:00 P.M. — A glass of milk and fruit
The next day, Deshmukh showed the menu to Baba, who had a hearty laugh.
Still, each day Deshmukh insisted that Baba have something more substantial, and Baba commented, "You have drafted such a menu that even an Olympic athlete would find it difficult to eat as much as you suggest!"