All approved of the idea, feeling exhausted and needing
rest. Four bullock carts were hired and at 7:15 P.M. they went to Mehmadabad
railway station, seven miles from Kaira. With the help of a Muslim, they were
lodged in a dharamshala, and later left for Broach on the 11:00 P.M. train. Although the mandali were exhausted, Baba himself did not seem to be in the
least affected, yet he had walked the same distance and carried the same load. Furthermore, the mandali were eating twice a day, whereas Baba had been fasting
for the past several months! The compassionate Master allowed them to eat and
drink. Yet he showed them how merciless the way could be.
At 3:30 A.M. on 3 July 1923, they arrived in Broach and
stayed until daybreak in the compound of a dharamshala near the station. Meanwhile, Baba, Vajifdar and Slamson went to the city in a tonga. Vajifdar's relatives arranged their stay in the Parsi dharamshala located in
Jamshed Garden. On their return, all walked the distance of a mile and a half
to the dharamshala. Babu Cyclewalla, Ramjoo and Barsoap pretended to be servants
and were able to gain entrance into the exclusively Parsi guest
house. There was no kitchen to cook the food and water was scarce due to scanty
monsoon rains, but Gustadji managed to cook rice and dal outside.
They went to bathe in the Narmada River nearby. The water
was muddy and brackish, and they derived no pleasure from the bath or from
washing their clothes. They returned to the dharamshala and rested until 4:00
P.M.
During one conversation, a self-righteous zealot staying
in the guest house extolled the Zoroastrians and bitterly criticized and
condemned the Hindus and Muslims, unaware that among Meher Baba's group were
both Hindus and Muslims. The mandali listened to his twisted logic with
concealed amusement.
As instructed, Masaji, Pendu and Vajifdar left Broach for
Bombay. Pendu's health had suffered terribly and he was in very weak
condition. Baba with the rest of the mandali departed at 4:00 P.M. for
Ankleshwar. Returning to the river, they hired a boat to take them across. A
strong wind was blowing, making it difficult to raise the sails. One of the
boat's heavy ropes struck Nervous on his wrist (on which he was resting his
head, so his eye was barely saved from being seriously injured). More troubles
were to follow.