14. Do I dare drink it?

In the summer of 1947, Bihar was facing severe communal riots. To calm it down, Bapu had come to Delhi. His appetite had slowed down in those days. One morning Manu brought a glass of mango juice for him. Bapu asked her, "Just inquire about the price of these mangoes."

Manu thought that Bapu was simply joking. She got busy copying the papers. After a while she saw that Bapu did not drink the juice. She again asked him to take it. Bapu said, "I thought you would ask the price and come back immediately. Even though they were sent as a gift, you should have asked the price before giving the juice to me. You didn't do that. You didn't even give me a reply. I have heard that a mango costs ten annas approximately. I can survive without eating them. It won't improve my blood count. Instead it would lower it. In these days of inflation and sorrow, you offered me the juice of four mangoes. It means that it cost two and a half rupees. Should I dare drink that juice? At the same time two destitute women came to greet Bapu, along with their children. Bapuji instantly divided the juice into two portions and gave them to those children. He felt relieved. He told Manu, "This instance proves that God helps! God sent those children to me. Those children were as I had expected them to be. God is great!"