PEGU AND MASTAN

 
Baba and the women left Meherazad for Poona on 30 March. At Guruprasad, another lovable, intelligent pet was always to be found near Baba's feet. Every morning, when Baba was awake and the night watchman had left his room, Baba rang an electric bell(1) for the women to come inside. Mehera entered first — or at least she tried to. Inevitably, as soon as Mehera opened the door, Pegu, the cat, rushed inside ahead of her. And when Mehera helped Baba to sit up, Pegu rubbed his head on Baba's feet. "How fortunate he is," Baba remarked. "Every day, he is having my darshan."

The large darshan program Baba had announced was scheduled to take place after one month. As Baba was not exercising and was still weak, it was advised to give him a high-protein diet. Gaimai prepared and sent fried fish for Baba's lunch. When Pegu smelled the fish, he came running near Baba's chair and started meowing. Once, before eating, Baba took a piece of fish and started to give it to Pegu on the plush red carpet. Alarmed, Mehera said, "Baba, don't put it on the carpet. The smell won't go away. Not on the carpet."(2)

Baba said, "All right. Bring his plate."

Mehera brought it quickly, and Baba placed the fish on the plate. Mehera took it to the kitchen to give Pegu there. This went on every day, until the women decided that Baba must eat his fish in peace and not give most of it to the cat. They devised a plan: When the bell rang that Baba was coming, Meheru went in search of Pegu and detained him in the bathroom on a leash, where the cat quietly went to sleep. (It had such a gentle nature that it never strained on the leash.)

One day, Baba smiled and asked, "Where's the cat?"

"Baba, it must be somewhere here in the house," they answered innocently.

After finishing his lunch, Baba told them to bring Pegu. He knew what was going on. Mehera stayed with Baba, while Meheru freed the cat. Pegu did not run to Baba. Obediently, he followed Meheru to the dining room. He went near Baba, and Baba gave him some fish on his plate. Mehera was pleased that at last Baba was getting his daily quota of protein.

"Baba loved Pegu so much," Arnavaz recalled. "He told us to pet it. After petting it, we washed our hands, but Baba would encourage us to pet it more. He really loved this cat. Once, Baba called it a yogi, & another time a mavali [rogue]. It must be a yogi, either going up, or maybe a fallen one — something special."

Baba told Mehera that the cat and Mastan had some connection. "They will be together in their future births," he disclosed.

Pegu and Mastan had never met, so Mehera was surprised. "Baba," she said, "Pegu is so mischievous and Mastan is so quiet and sweet; how can they be together in the future? Pegu will take advantage of Mastan!"

"He won't," Baba assured her. "They will be together. There is some connection between them."

(1)A switch for the bell was on the wall near Baba's bed.
(2)Mehera was also concerned that some of Baba's (vegetarian) Brahmin lovers would not appreciate the smell of fish.