The next morning, the wedding party came to Guruprasad. Among those seated before Baba were Adi and Rhoda Dubash. After the usual greetings, Baba asked Viloo and Sarosh about the wedding. Viloo complained, "Baba, it rained so much!"
Baba replied, "Well, your son asked for my blessing and I gave it to him." Turning to Rhoda Dubash, he gestured towards her and said, "Ask her what happened on her wedding day."
A similar incident had happened to Rhoda at the time of her wedding in 1945 in Pakistan. She did not believe in Baba then and had issued a challenge to him, saying in her heart: "If you are what they say you are, you will send me heaven's blessings on my wedding day!" And likewise, it had poured down rain that day. But Rhoda had never mentioned this incident or her challenge to Baba! That day in Guruprasad, when Baba addressed her, she was so taken by surprise, she could only gape. In her heart she had known it was Baba who had sent his blessings on her wedding day, but now God Himself was confirming it.
Eruch said, "Well Rhoda, what happened on your wedding day? We are waiting."
Rhoda began to narrate the story and while she was speaking, Baba interrupted to remind her, "You did not tell them that, after throwing this challenge at me, you completely forgot about it until after the wedding," which was indeed true.
Baba left Guruprasad with the men and women mandali on Sunday, 30 June 1963. The Poona lovers collected in Bund Garden, and at 7:45 A.M. Baba (riding in Hoshang Dadachanji's Fiat) had the car stopped there to bid them farewell. Baba got out of the car and sat under Babajan's tree for a while, and his lovers gathered around him. Given the amount of access and opportunities for his company his lovers had that year, it was an especially difficult parting. Many had tears in their eyes.
Baba himself had remarked the previous day, "I feel sad to leave Guruprasad, but I have to for my work."
Baba's arti was sung and, after giving each his hand to kiss, he left for Meherazad in Meherjee's car driven by Adi. When they reached Ahmednagar, the usual stops were made at Akbar Press and Sarosh Motors, before arriving at Meherazad at eleven o'clock.1
Footnotes
- 1.Baba had permitted Gajwani and the Dubashes to follow him to Meherazad in Gajwani's car and then return to Poona the same day.