welcome Baba to our home. She asked me what we should offer Baba, and I told her to keep a glass of orange juice ready. I left in a hurry for the station.

At the station we waited with our hearts thumping against our chest walls. Each minute of waiting seemed to be like an hour. At 12:55 p.m. we could see the engine from a distance and we were impatient to see Baba. The train steamed into the station and within a few seconds we spotted the compartment that was occupied by Baba and His mandali (Adi, Eruch, Meherji, Gustadji, Pendu, Dr. Nilu and others). I opened the carriage door and Baba stepped down onto the platform amongst loud cheers of "Avatar Meher Baba Ki Jai!" Baba was garlanded and then led to a chair by volunteers who formed a cordon. Baba sat down, and many took His darshan. Baba was profusely garlanded. A De Soto car, bedecked with flowers, awaited Baba outside the station; He was driven in it to Meher Cottage.

Two nieces, Homai and Alamai of the late Sorabji Desai, had asked Baba in 1954 for permission to build a house in Navsari. Baba had permitted them. They had invited Baba to come and stay in the house when it was ready. Baba had replied, "If I don't drop my body by then, I will come." The inauguration of the Cottage was done at Diwali* time in 1955. Three months later, Baba came to Meher Cottage to fulfill His promise. The nieces were overjoyed seeing Baba arrive at their Cottage. It was a most loving and touching meeting between the Master and the lovers, amidst the usual tears, smiles and kisses. He was garlanded and led inside. The nieces had cooked lunch for Baba. After a few minutes, Baba sat for lunch in one room while the mandali enjoyed a big lunch in an adjoining room.

We were waiting on the front veranda of the Cottage while Baba and the mandali were having lunch. Suddenly, Baba called Mr. C. Vesuna and gave him some rice from His plate as prasad. Soon after, I was called in. Baba was seated on a chair eating rice and dal. He took a spoonful of rice from His plate and put it into my mouth. Before I could swallow it and thank Him for it, He gestured "Leave."

After lunch, Baba was seated in one of the rooms and He called in a few of us. He had been told by Meherji about the stir amongst the Parsees. Baba asked me to tell Him all about it. I told Him about the meeting they had held and the anti-Baba slogans written all over the town. Baba listened to the report carefully and then said with a smile, "I have come here because of my dear ones at Meher Cottage. They wanted me here. I have also come to Navsari because most of my devotees here had an intense desire to have my darshan. Half the purpose of my coming has already been served by my stay in Meher Cottage and the other half will be fulfilled by my presence at the darshan program from 2:30 to 5:00 p.m." Baba added that He had decided not to visit my home.

It was now time for the darshan program. Baba got into His car and was driven to a big open ground about a hundred yards away. A beautiful awning had been erected and it was decorated. The car headed for a big dais at one end of the awning. On it stood a chair for Baba. He climbed the dais and sat in His chair amongst thundering cheers of "Avatar Baba Ki Jai." He looked around at the people: about a thousand had already collected there for His darshan. They greeted Baba once again with shouts of "Avatar Meher Baba Ki Jai." To regale Baba some bhajans were song by a party. Baba was garlanded at that time by each member of the reception committee who had worked for the darshan program. Soon after this, Baba got up from His chair and sat on the platform of the dais and began giving prasad.** Two queues had formed, one for women on Baba's left and the

* Festival of Lights

** usually a sweetmeat or fruit