In chapter 9, almost the entire chapter is dedicated to the Tarkhad family. The Leelas are beautifully described, so a little of the background is given here. They hailed from Tarkhad village near Fort Vasai, and hence they were called the Tarkhadkars.

The history goes that their ancestors had fought in the battle of Fort Bassein, along with the great Maratha warrior, Chimaji Appa, against the Portuguese, who were defeated in the battle. As a recognition of their bravery, Chimaji Appa granted them Jahagiri of Tarkhad village. Later on, the Britishers took over the Fort from the Marathas, and Ramchandra's grandfather Pandurang Tarkhad moved to Mumbai.

Pandurang had two sons - Dadoba and Atmaram. Ramchandra Atmaram Tarkhad was a specialist in cotton textiles. He was the secretary of Khatau group of mills. He had established his household in Bandra and later came in contact with Shirdi Sai Baba. He was also one of the founder members of the Sansthan, and he was the first treasurer of the Shirdi Sai Baba Sansthan.

How Sitadevi Tarkhad Met Baba.

Her maiden name was Krishnabai Kusum Bagkar. She was affluent, cultured and educated. Her husband was also very affluent. He was an expert in textiles and was the secretary of Khatau Mills. After her marriage to Ramchandra A. Tarkhad, she had all the comforts that life could offer. But all this did not make her happy, as she had severe migraine. There was a slew of doctors on both sides of her family, and she was treated by all of them, but there was no relief. Soon, she started having cluster headaches. The headaches became more frequent and intense. There was a constant look of pain and suffering on her face. One day, her maid suggested that she should visit Pir Maulana Saheb, who was famous for treating and curing many chronic ailments. At this point of time, she was willing to do anything to get some relief from this throbbing and pounding in her head. Sitadevi confided in her son, Jyotindra, who was very enterprising, and he devised a plan. Pir Maulana had a Dargah near Bandra Masjid. In those days, it was almost impossible for a Hindu lady to go to a Muslim Pir. Hence, an elaborate plan was made. Jyotindra got a Hijab for his mother and he took her by car to the Dargah. The Pir, however, could not help her, and he said, "I cannot help you. But my brother at Shirdi, Sai Baba, surely can. Go to Him." Thus, the Rinanubandhik ties started unfolding. Again, Jyotindra came to her rescue. He asked the people at the Iranian restaurant about Shirdi. He gathered all the information that he possibly could. Now it remained for them to make the pilgrimage to Shirdi. This was a formidable task, as his father was a Prarthana Samajist who did not believe in idol worship, let alone going to Sadhus and Babas. Finally, he got permission, but there were other questions about the location of Shirdi and about their stay there. Jyotindra found all the necessary information as best as he could. On Friday evening, they made the life-transforming journey and reached Shirdi on Saturday in the morning. After having a bath, Sitadevi and Jyotindra went to the Dwarka Mai. Baba was sitting in his usual place facing Dhuni Mai. Mrs. Tarkhad bent and touched Baba's feet and they looked at each other. Their eyes locked in an intense look and Baba looked into her very soul. This was Drishtipath.

Baba said, "Aai, you have come. My brother at Bandra sent you to me. Isn't that so? Come sit here. You have extreme pain in your head, right?" While He was speaking, Baba put the palm of His hand in the dish containing Udi. Swiftly, He took the Udi-laden hand and hit Sitadevi with a great deal of force on her forehead. Simultaneously, He held her head in His grip. While He did this, he said, "Aai, from now on until the end of your life, your head will never ever hurt again. Your sufferings have come to an end." All this time, Sitadevi had not spoken a single word. But, the tormenting pain left her. The look of anguish and suffering also faded away, and her face had this blissful and calm look. Here, two things happened. First, Baba gave her a long intense look which was Drishtipath. The second thing which happened was that He hit her forehead and squeezed the pain out of her head. This was Shaktipath. Sitadevi turned to Jyotindra and asked him to touch Baba's feet. Baba loved Sitadevi and had a great deal of respect for her. Although she was rather young, Baba called her 'Aai' and meant it. Baba saw the total innocence of this gentle lady, as she knew no disgust or repulsion towards a mongrel or a mud-splattered pig. In chapter 9 of the Sri Sai Satcharita, the story of her feeding a hungry dog and a filthy pig is described beautifully.

Jyotindra meets a Fakir

It was his daily routine to have lunch at an Iranian restaurant near Metro Cinema. One day, he had lunch at the restaurant and was crossing the road to return to St. Xavier's School, when he was accosted by a Fakir. The Faki...