I heard a story about someone who went to Shirdi with his friend but had some strict rules for himself. What were those rules and why did he have them?

As detailed in chapter 35, a friend of Kaka Mahajani had very strict rules for his visit to Shirdi because he was a devotee of the formless and averse to idol worship. His visit was motivated purely by 'clinical curiosity.' He laid out two firm conditions to Kaka Mahajani before agreeing to travel from Mumbai. The first condition was that he would go for Darshan but would 'never bow his head' to the saint. The second condition was that he would not provide any Dakshina. Only after Kaka Mahajani agreed to these terms did the friend set out for Shirdi.