270MANZIL-E-MEEM1922
Kanhoba's son Ramchandra was a bright ray of Baba's love and brought many people to Baba's feet.
On another occasion, Gulmai came to Poona with her son, Adi, to meet Baba at Vithal's house. Baba was relaxing and conversing with a few persons. Noticing her in a distressed state, he called her upstairs. Gulmai's hand was paining; she was tired and had a severe headache. When Baba inquired what the trouble was, Gulmai claimed, "It is only a slight headache."
Baba replied in Gujarati, "Why do you make such a painful face? This is just the beginning! I will make you eat grams [chickpeas; a poor person's diet]! Are you tired even before the game begins?"
The next evening, Gulmai and Adi were sitting in the hut with Baba and talking about why he had chosen this site along Fergusson Road. Baba revealed that long ago, when the area was a jungle, a great sadhu had inhabited the spot where his hut stood.
Shortly thereafter, Gulmai's nephew, Sarosh Kaikhushru Irani, nineteen, arrived from Panchgani, where he (like Gulmai's son Adi) was in boarding school. However, he did not approach the hut, but stood at a distance by his tonga and spoke with Aunt Gulmai there. Sarosh had heard of Meher Baba but had no faith in him, and he had no desire to meet him, either. (In Ahmednagar, Sarosh's father was the person most staunchly opposed to Baba.)
Sarosh informed Gulmai that he had left school, because he was not given permission by his teacher to appear for the matriculation exam. Gulmai was upset and said, "You did not behave well in Ahmednagar. You troubled your mother and teachers, so you were sent to Panchgani. You must have misbehaved there also, and that must be why your teacher refused permission."
Sarosh insisted this was not the case. "I did not misbehave!" he said. "I brought something to the notice of the principal, who reproached my teacher. In retaliation, the teacher did not give me the examination form — so I left."
Sarosh said he was staying the night in Poona and would go to Ahmednagar the next day. Gulmai told him to come and see her before leaving. After he had gone, Baba asked who the young man was. Gulmai explained that he was her nephew Sarosh. Baba expressed his wish to meet him, saying, "I have a lot of work in the world for him later on."
|