WAIT AND SEE

 
By the end of March we were all in Poona preparing for this Great Darshan. Our grief was still raw, and arriving at Guruprasad without Baba had been terribly painful. The palace felt cold and empty. Mehera's emotional state was particularly fragile, and Baba lessened our agony by giving us the task of sustaining her. I remembered that the previous October Mehera had shown Baba a pink sari embroidered in gold, telling Him she wanted to give it to Dina Talati's daughter Parviz as a wedding present.

Baba said, "But it's so beautiful. Why don't you wear it?"

Mehera replied "Where can I wear it? I'm old and it won't suit me anymore."

Baba responded, "Old? Just wait and see how beautiful you'll become after six months."

Baba's words rang in my ears as I counted the months and realized that He must have been referring to this time. Mehera had always been kept in the background, but now she would participate in this darshan, and her inner strength and purity would shine for all to see.

 
On the first morning of the [1969] darshan, just before 9:00, we all gathered in the hall. We had placed a large photograph of Baba in His empty chair. It was nearing time to open the doors for the first flood of Western lovers who had come from distant places to be with Baba in a wholly new way. Suddenly Mehera broke down and cried, "What do we do without Baba?"

We pleaded with her not to cry, telling her that she had to keep her spirits up, that Baba lovers had come thousands of miles and she needed to help them by displaying strength and courage.

Mehera composed herself, the doors were opened, and people poured into the hall and sat in rows on the floor.

As the clock struck nine, Eruch said to all those who had entered, "You have kept your appointment with God."