98. Ba: "If I am separated after all these years."

During January 1942 Ba and Bapu stayed for sometime in the Ashram in Bardoli. From there Ba went to the Ashram in Maroli to spend a few days with Mithubehn Petit. There she had fever, which made her still weaker, her heart being already feeble for some years, past. Notwithstanding, she went back to Bardoli to rejoin Bapu on his return to Sevagram. Coming to know of her arrival, Bapu forthwith went with a car to receive her. He put her up in the room, occupied downstairs by Sardar Patel, so that she might be spared the strain of going upstairs. Bapu was always solicitous about her well-being, and whenever Ba went out of the Ashram or came back, however busy he might be, he would make it a point to accompany her to the gate and bid her good-bye, or welcome her at the gate.

Looking at Ba's weak condition the Sardar just remarked casually to Kalyanjibhai that it would have been better if she had stayed on in the Maroli Ashram in the interest of her health.

Kalyanjibhai replied, "But she would not. She feared the railway traffic might be dislocated and, consequently, she might be separated from Bapu - a contingency to which she could not reconcile herself. For, she added, she would like to die in Bapu's lap."