Scene 5
(Master and Ratan are at the home of the Master’s richest disciples.)MASTER (to husband): You are my richest disciple.
HUSBAND: Oh Master, I may be rich on the physical plane, but you are the one who is rich on the spiritual plane.
MASTER: Well, I have come to the richest person on this physical plane. It is my wish to cook for you here today. Your wife has cooked for me many times and her food is always delicious. Now I wish to cook for the two of you. And when your son comes home from school, he can join you.
(Husband and wife are overjoyed and full of gratitude. Exit Master to cook. Husband and wife set a table. After a while, enter Master.)
MASTER: Good. I am finished. Now you are the guests, so begin eating. Ratan will help me serve.
WIFE: No, no, Master. How can we allow you to serve us while we eat? Let us wait for you, and we shall all eat together.
MASTER: No, no, no. Obedience comes first in the spiritual life. Since you are my disciples, you have to obey me. We will join you later. Now you start eating.
(Master and Ratan begin serving the two disciples. After eating a few morsels of food, both husband and wife collapse onto the floor.)
MASTER: Ratan, I have put poison into their food. (Ratan is shocked and dismayed.) Now we can go upstairs and look for their money. I am sure that they have thousands of rupees hidden away. Let us get the money; then I shall heal them as I have healed others in the past with the help of your prayer. I know that I don’t have any occult power at all. The first time, when I cured Rula, I thought it was my own power that did it. But after trying since then, I came to realise that it is only when you are there to touch my feet that I can do anything at all. It is your faith in me that cures everybody. It is from your faith that I get the capacity to perform miracles. Otherwise, I have no power at all. Now, let us go upstairs and take the money. Then you will pray to me and I shall cure them. You have helped me to do it before. I am sure we will be able to do it this time too.
(Exeunt omnes. Enter Dayal. Seeing his parents on the floor, he immediately runs to the door and shouts for the police. Enter two policemen who examine the bodies, look around, then go upstairs. Dayal sits down and buries his face in his hands. Re-enter policemen with Master and Ratan.)
FIRST POLICEMAN: You are both under arrest. Let’s go.
(Exeunt policemen, Master and Ratan.)
