He found an inexpensive, Muslim restaurant near the station; however, it was horribly unkempt and full of flies. Baba did not touch his tea, but Gustadji and Behramji, who were hungry, managed to swallow theirs and have some bread and butter.
They then hired a tonga and toured the city of Sholapur. In one area, a large fair was being held in honor of a local deceased saint. They roamed about the town until one o'clock in the afternoon despite the hot sun, and then finally went to the dak bungalow. A servant was asked to cook rice and dal for Behramji and Gustadji, and Behramji went to bring milk for Baba. But in spite of his hourlong search, Behramji was not able to find any milk for sale. He returned empty-handed at 2:00 P.M. and told Baba that milk was not available in the afternoon. It was only sold in the morning and evening.
Upset, Baba threatened, "If you don't find me some milk by three o'clock, I will not take food for 36 hours!"
Behramji again left and luckily met a milkman, who agreed to sell him milk at the then exorbitant rate of one rupee per seer .1 Behramji was in too much of a hurry to quibble over the price and agreed. The man's buffalo was grazing, and he had to send his son to bring it. Behramji then returned to the dak bungalow, leaving the milk pot with the man and instructing him to send it to the bungalow as soon as possible. He assured Baba that milk was on the way but, instead of being pleased, Baba became upset with him for leaving the milk pot with the man. Fearful that the man would not turn up by three, Behramji became worried. However, the man did deliver the milk, and Behramji was able to relax. Baba drank a little, while Gustadji and Behramji ate lunch.
Baba then told them, "From today I will take milk, fruit juice or tea once every 34 hours, and you both are to eat only once every 24 hours."
They arrived at the station at 5:00 P.M. on 30 November, and bought tickets for Akolner — near Ahmednagar. Except for nine annas in change for their five-rupee note proffered for the tickets, all their money had been spent. The ticket clerk, however, mistook the note for a ten-rupee one and returned five rupees and nine annas to them.
Footnotes
- 1.One seer (pronounced SAY-re) is about four cups.