Sugandh said, "Dr. Deshmukh asked me to stay on."
With grave displeasure, Baba scolded, "From now on, do whatever Deshmukh tells you and don't do as I say!"
Baba reprimanded Deshmukh for interfering with his orders, but then embraced him and forgave him.
To Manikyala Rao, Baba remarked, "Of the 35 gems in Andhra, you are one of them. Lift up your shirt."
When he did so, he was so lean that his ribs showed and all laughed.
Baba remarked, "In my love he has come to this state."
Baba visited K. K. Ramakrishnan's residence in Kirkee that afternoon. Baba was seated on a chair, and the lovers sat around him on the floor. All were offered biscuits, sweets and sherbet. When the plate was passed to Pesi Irani, he found only a few tiny biscuits, whereas on another plate offered to Pratap Ahir, sitting next to him, there were large ones. Pesi was a robust, stout young man, and Pratap was skinny and half his size. Both were seated some distance from Baba.
There were almost 50 people present, but Baba noticed them and remarked, "Look how funny this is. Pesi is like a tiger and gets small biscuits, and Pratap, who is like an ant, has a plateful of large ones."
Deshmukh was present, and just before Ramakrishnan served sherbet to all, Deshmukh went to the toilet. Following him there, Baba, who always enjoyed teasing Deshmukh, locked him in. After a while Deshmukh started pounding on the door. Baba only opened it after everyone had finished their drink.
Deshmukh came out, and Baba teasingly remarked, "The sherbet is finished. You missed out. Why did you go to the toilet?"
"Baba, you would never do that," Deshmukh said. "You must have kept some for me." Without replying, Baba proceeded to the car, and Deshmukh felt disheartened. Coming back, Baba slapped him on the back and gave him his share.
Back at Guruprasad, they played cards and other games.
Baba commented to Moorty, who had a doctorate in philosophy, "Deshmukh can put you in his pocket. He is so intelligent."1
Then to Deshmukh, he remarked, "You are intelligent, but at the same time a first-rate idiot! Mani can put you both in her pocket! She corresponds with the West and spends the whole day typing."
One day Moorty appeared at Guruprasad in a canary yellow shirt.
Baba asked him, "How did you ever get your master's degree? You don't even know what color clothes to put on? You look ridiculous!"
Footnotes
- 1.Deshmukh had been one of Moorty's professors in college.