On the 17th, Baily left for a few days. That day, Baba began acting peculiarly, flinging things about that were near at hand. Twice he sent his cuspidor and his alphabet board flying, once at noon and again at night. In the evening Baba had his gaadi placed in the dining hall for the first time and sat there while the boys ate.
Several of the boys who were meditating from 1:00 A.M. until sunrise were obviously not sleeping much. Concerned about their health, on 18 August, Baba began giving private interviews to the boys, inquiring whether they had slept and how they were feeling. Almost 30 of the youngsters revealed that they were rising in the middle of the night for meditation. Yet it was observed that, despite lack of sleep, the boys seemed as alert and active as ever.
Khak Saheb wanted to write more poetry in Urdu, and Baba told him, "Begin writing after a few days, when I go 'in' [into seclusion]. I will give you some experience, and your writings will then guide many souls."
The following day, an elocution contest was held and Dhake and Ramjoo were declared the winners. Just as the prizes were being distributed at five o'clock, the happy atmosphere was spoiled by the sudden intrusion of an angry group of Muslim parents demanding the return of their children, including Aga Ali's father who had brought a legal writ to this effect.
Baba had the parents wait, and for more than two hours discussed the problem with the mandali, who had various opinions about what to do. Some felt that they should fight the matter out in the courts, but others felt that they should simply hand over the boys and end the trouble. Surprisingly, Baba sided with the latter group to avoid a court case, and Aga Ali and three other boys were put in custody of their parents that night.
Afterward Baba commented about the fate of Aga Ali, "Four boys have departed, of whom Ali was the best. Ali will suffer much, but the suffering will bring him closer to me. To suffer for me is good, though it would have been better had his father let him remain here. If he stays with his parents and is happy, well and good. If he goes mad, his father will bring him back to me. If he dies, he will be in me [liberated]. But anyway, it will be all right for he has love which no one can rob from him."