32. Ba's Touching Farewell

During the 1932 fast Bapu was visited one day by Ba. He feared that she would reprimand him for having embarked on the fast. So to disarm her just as she arrived, he caught hold of her by the hand and drew her to his side. At this Ba exclaimed, "What is this nonsense?"

Bapu then asked Ba, "Are you not prepared to die with me?"

Ba answered, "Why should I? But you had first better give up your fast before you talk of anything else to me. May God prevail upon you to do this!"

Whereupon Bapu laughed and said, "Look at your hollowed-out cheeks. It appears our Superintendent Bhandari looks after me better than your Superintendent Advani did after you."

Just then, looking in the direction of Shri Bhandari, Ba smiled and jokingly remarked, "No, the Sindhis are any day better than the Punjabis!"

Shri Bhandari joined in the joke, though he told Ba that she was doing him great injustice.

In this way, the whole atmosphere became lighter.