What was the initial attitude of Kaka Mahajani's friend towards visiting Shirdi, and what were his terms for going?

Kaka Mahajani's friend was a man prone to doubts who was a great devotee of the formless and averse to idol worship. As Chapter 35 explains, his motivation for visiting Shirdi was not faith but 'clinical curiosity.' Given his convictions, he was naturally hesitant. He laid out two strict conditions to his friend Kaka Mahajani before agreeing to make the journey from Mumbai. First, he stated that while he would go for Darshan, he would 'never bow his head.' Second, he was adamant that he would not provide any Dakshina. He would only come if Kaka agreed to these terms.