28. Ba : "You! Afraid of me ?"

In Sabarmati, Ba was in charge of the Ashram kitchen. In addition to the inmates there would be almost every day a number of visitors and guests. But she always rose to the occasion. Under her, at one time, there was an assistant, a young lad from Travancore. Once at noon, after the kitchen had been cleaned up, all of a sudden Pandit Motilal Nehru and a few other visitors arrived. Since Ba had just gone to her room to rest, Bapu quietly called the boy and asked him to prepare with Kusumbehn's co-operation, the lunch for the guests, adding that only in case of need, was Ba to be disturbed. He also told the boy that everything in the kitchen was to be handled carefully and, in the end, kept back in its proper place. But as the boy and Kusumbehn were working, accidentally a plate fell down on the floor with a bang. Ba was, consequently, roused from her siesta, as she feared lest the cat might have toppled the milk-pot. But when, instead, she saw that the kitchen was again functioning, she inquired what the matter was. When the whole story was told to her, she asked somewhat angrily, "But why did you people not wake me up?" The boy replied tactfully, "We had planned to do so, but, as you were resting, only after all the preliminary arrangements had been made." To this Ba rejoined, "But you, too, were tired like me. So if you could work again so soon, could not I?" Saying this she straightaway joined them in the work. Later, in the evening, after the guests had gone, she took Bapu to task and said, "Why did you entrust the work of preparing the midday meal for the guests to the young people ? Am I such an idler ?" Bapu replied, "As you know and to tell you the truth, I am at such times, afraid of you."

"You! Afraid of me?" Ba rejoined with a loud laugh.