The idea to publish a monthly magazine occurred to K. J. Dastur and Baba encouraged him to go ahead with his plan. On 22 November, Baba named the monthly The Meher Message , and also hinted at publishing journals in Urdu, Marathi, Gujarati, and Persian. Baba invited Dastur, Ramjoo, and Chanji to meet and share their views on the proposed publications. On hearing the proposal, and also the suggestion that a committee be formed to approve the articles for the periodicals, Dastur became upset and lost his temper. Except for The Meher Message , of which he had been appointed editor, he did not wish any other publications to be circulated.
Baba drew Dastur's attention to certain discrepancies in the magazine's opening article, which Dastur had edited. Pointing to Chanji and Ramjoo, Dastur claimed that Baba always did as they said.
Baba retorted, "If you really think I act according to their dictates, then there is no point in your staying with me."
After the discussion ended, Dastur returned to his room.
Baba then informed Ramjoo and Chanji, "Let him do as he wishes. I will see what he does. I won't permit anything objectionable to be published."
During the previous months, Ramjoo was busy interviewing the students about their spiritual experiences and the events in the school ashram for his book titled Sobs and Throbs . The typing of the manuscript began on the day Aga Ali was removed from the ashram by his father and the bodyguard.
Due to the cold weather, some of the Prem Ashram boys had severe coughs. On the 24th, Baba instructed Baidul to bring some bottles of cough syrup from the dispensary. By mistake, a bottle of iodine got mixed up with cough mixture as it looked exactly the same. All the bottles were given to Baba. Instead of dispensing the medicine, Baba twirled one of the bottles in his hand for a while. He uncorked it, smelled it, and handed it back to Baidul, declaring that it was iodine. Baba was very upset.
"Had this been given to the boys," he said, "they might have died!"
Baidul apologized profusely for his mistake, and Baba forgave him.
Among those of the mandali who were sick at the time were Padri and Meherjee. On 25 November, Meherjee was so ill that he stopped eating. He secretly longed for some juicy Kabuli pomegranates or some oranges and apples during his illness, but did not reveal this desire to anyone.