BHAUJI'S FAMILY

 
BROKEN-DOWN FURNITURE NEWS: In your book, While the World Slept, you mentioned that you had a wife and a child. I didn't hear her mentioned again after that and I wondered what became of her after you remained with Baba.

BHAU KALCHURI: Yes. What happened is that when I met Baba I was already married and I had my daughter at that time. She was about six, seven months old. Of course my wife knew I wanted to go to Rishikesh, leaving everything. And she was not happy about that. But it so happened that when I had Baba's darshan she also went for Baba's darshan, and she saw Baba and she was also very much affected.

She felt very very happy, and when I joined Baba of course I had already informed her that I was leaving for good in the beginning. So when she saw Baba she was very, very happy when I went to him. And she was with her parents. Sometimes she would be with her parents, sometimes she would be with my parents.

Now when I joined Baba in Dehra Dun, of course I would write nothing, but Baba himself would ask me to write letters to her. And when her reply would come Baba would want me to read out the reply to him. So it was just direct communication from Baba. Baba was directly connected with her, with correspondence.

In 1954 there was a big darshan program at Ahmednagar. So Nanaker (who is attending Samadhi now) — Baba would ask Nana to bring them for darshan program in 1954. In 1954 she came for darshan only — so at that and other time she was pregnant when I joined Baba. So son was born when I was in Dehra Dun. They were in the village, and one day my daughter — her name is Sipsila — she was burned with hot milk, and Baba sent Nanaker when news came. Immediately Baba sent telegram and he sent Nanaker there, and personally Nana attended and it was all right.

At the end of 1957 Baba says "I want to call them here at Meherabad" — not Meherazad, Meherabad. And where you find the health center now, so there was a bungalow at that time. I said, "Baba, they are very happy there, why do you want to call them here? Children are there." So he said, "Not a word. Don't say anything. Whatever I want to do, you don't interfere. It is my responsibility, and of course whatever I want to do I will do."

So then at the end of 1957 they were called to Meherabad, and Padri, one of the mandali there at Meherabad — he was in charge. He was looking after the children and my wife Rumma. Then it so happened that in 1960 or '61 — Yes, about '61 — then Baba called them to Ahmednagar for the education of the children. So Adi was in charge. Adi was looking after them.

And Baba would go and see them time to time or sometimes he would call them to Meherazad and see them. He would just take care of everything, and so compassionate, so great that he would take all care. And he just made me free from all this. So there he would also look after the education, this, that, every minute detail. Adi was in charge. So he would take care of everything.

She was also happy because I was with Baba, and because she loves Baba there is no question. That is just Baba's help, Baba's kindness, his compassion that he would make all arrangements to look after them and he would love them.