Baba would sit up for only 15 or 20 minutes, and then the men would slowly help him lie down. So when Nariman and Arnavaz embraced Baba before leaving, they did so gently to avoid causing him the slightest pain. But surprisingly, Baba embraced them so tightly that for a moment they wondered from where he had summoned such strength.
A similar incident happened to Rano a week later. She brought a watercolor of the Mastery In Servitude emblem that she had done for Adi Jr. She wanted Baba to touch it before she mailed it. Baba did so, and expressed that he was pleased, then gestured, “Embrace me.” Rano later recollected: “He looked so fragile then that I was almost afraid to touch him, so I touched him very lightly. But when he embraced me, it was the strong embrace of the old days.” It was the last embrace she had from Baba.
DURING THAT WEEK, Baba began making a “haaa-humph” sound. He had made a similar sound in the past, but this was more pronounced. He uttered uttering it several times over the next few days. Although some of the mandali felt Baba had broken his silence, Bhau felt Baba was only giving an indication that there was nothing wrong with his vocal chords after 43 years of silence.
That day, Baba was in a very happy mood and enjoyed jesting with Francis and Kaka Baria in the morning and evening. Kaka sang his “Ho, ho, ho!” kirtan before Baba, so Baba tried to make him sing the line: “Sai Baba, Babajan, Meher Baba che Bhagwan [are God]!” Eruch repeated the phrase over and over again, but Kaka simply stuck to his favorite “Ho, ho, ho!” Those present laughed heartily at Kaka’s efforts, and the tense and serious atmosphere of many months in Meherazad was lightened. Although his body was being crushed under the load of his infinite suffering, Baba was giving courage to the mandali by appearing happy.
Chhagan sent food for Baba on Thursday, January 23, and Baba ate some of it. On that day from 3:00 until 10:30 P.M., Baba was in excruciating pain. His body was very stiff and tense because of the severe jolts he would get whenever he tried to relax. His spine was also stiff, and turning over in bed was an ordeal for him, despite the men’s support of his back and body. The tension caused frequent spasms which made his breathing difficult, and he had more choking sensations in his throat, adding to his suffering.
—Extracted from www.lordmeher.org, p6696-6714
Photo source – The film “Beyond Words” directed by Louis van Gasteren, filmed in 1967