This was the first booklet in Marathi published about Meher Baba and his activities at Meherabad.
Baba's father Bobo and brother Jamshed had also come for the birthday celebration, but they left soon after it was over. From 19 February, Baba began taking his seat every day in the box-like cabin in Sai Darbar and all public functions were now held there. Yeshwant Rao from Sakori came to see Baba on the 23rd.
On 25 February, a play called Shah Shivaji [Emperor Shivaji] was staged. Directed by Chanji, it was performed very well by the mandali. Sai Darbar was turned into a theater with a stage and floodlights.
The superintendent of the Meherabad community, Baba's old acquaintance Behramji, although virtually uneducated, was in the habit of speaking to others in legal terms. He would refer to civil laws and different rules on the slightest pretext, often arguing his view as if he were presenting a case before a jury. Baba nicknamed him Barrister , which all the other men thought was quite appropriate.
After his birthday celebration, Baba had permitted Jamshed and his wife Khorshed to stay for a few days with his maternal aunt Dowla Masi and her husband Faredoon Masa at their house in the village of Loni.1 On the way they had paid their respects to Babajan in Poona. At midnight on 26 February, Jamshed suddenly felt a pain in his chest. Without disclosing how ill he felt, he bowed to his foster parents and said, "Forgive me for any sins I have committed against you." Then he added, "Never forget that Baba is God."
He fervently urged Khorshed, "Never leave Baba under any circumstances." He then went to bed. Just before dawn on 27 February, Jamshed succumbed to a heart attack and, with his last breath, called out Baba's name loudly three times, "BABA! BABA! BABA!" Memo was informed and a taxi was sent to bring his body to Poona. Jamshed was only 33 years old.
Bobo sent a telegram informing Baba of his brother's death. It was received in the afternoon while Baba was playing cricket with the schoolboys. He gathered the mandali at the Makan, and had the telegram read out.
The men were shocked and felt very upset about Jamshed's sudden death, but Baba looked unaffected and remarked, "I often told Jamshed not to leave Meherabad, but he persisted and now he has really left!"
Footnotes
- 1.Mani was also staying with Dowla Masi and Faredoon Masa at the time.