FOUR FOOTED MANDALI

 
When all were settled in Mandali Hall and Mani was seated on the floor beside Baba's chair, she talked of the 'four-footed mandali', the dogs.

One story was about Peter. He was a jet-black cocker spaniel whom Mehera and Mani acquired in the lovely hill-station of Mussorie in north India, where Baba and the mandali stayed for some weeks in 1953. Mehera and Mani often went for walks and when coming home, passed a solitary bungalow in which two elderly English sisters lived. Mehera and Mani would stop and pass pleasantries over the garden gate with one of the ladies, Mrs. Cooper.

They came to know that her sister loved dogs, and though arthritic she wouldn't leave in the bitterly cold Mussorie winter as she would not leave her dogs to anybody else's care. One day Mrs. Cooper mentioned that her sister's dog had had puppies and all of them had been given away but one. This was a very special puppy and her sister would only give him to a very special family.

Mehera was tempted to go and 'just look' at the pup. Mani, knowing that to see a cute puppy was to bring it home, tried to dissuade her. But after a while they both agreed to go and 'just look'. They fell in love with the adorable pup.