GOHER'S FIRST REAL MEMORY OF MEHERA

 
"In those days," Goher related, "it was something very great to give up everything in the world, to renounce everything to live with Baba. My mother had great respect for Daulatmai. Often, she mentioned about her brother being a colonel and about her husband having been a forest officer. In spite of that, in spite of having so much wealth, she didn't need anything and had joined Baba. So I knew about Mehera and her family background. We were children, but I always carried that impression."

But Goher's first real memory of Mehera comes from the 1938 birthday on the hill, when Mehera was 31: "Mehera was outside Baba's cabin, dressed in a long skirt and blouse, putting rangoli [colored chalk-designs] on the ground. She had just washed her hair.

"She had lovely, beautiful, long hair. Standing there, she looked very beautiful. I always admired her. I had a natural attraction to her, but Mehera was very shy in those days. She talked to you, if you went up to her, but she used to be so busy. So many other people who had come wanted to speak with her; but what little opportunity we had, we did talk to her."