They wrote to Baba saying that, in accordance with his wishes, they were soon leaving for the United States. Back came a special delivery letter from Adi, informing them that Baba had decided to permit them to see him "for five minutes only on 7 March at 9:00 A.M. sharp," on the condition that they leave Ahmednagar the same day and start their travel back to the U.S.A.
Although Ursula still dreaded traveling all the way back to the Deccan plateau, Mik was ecstatic. "I cannot express what joy I felt when I received Baba's cable," he recalled.
They hitchhiked the entire way, except for the last leg of the journey. From Manmad they took a train to Ahmednagar, since Adi had written he would meet them at the station on Monday, 7 March 1966. The train was late and Adi drove them straight to Meherazad. Adi parked the car and they got out. As was the usual procedure, Adi told them to sit on a bench outside the mandali hall and wait while he went inside to inform Baba that they had arrived.
Mik began getting nervous about what he would do in the presence of the Avatar: "Should we give him namaskar, throw ourselves at his feet? We should have brought a coconut to surrender at his feet. ... What will I say to him, he is silent?"
Adi emerged and said, "Meher Baba has instructed that you are not to offer him namaskar or touch his feet. Baba wants to embrace you." Their dilemma was solved. They walked into the hall, saw the mandali and then turned to the right and saw Baba sitting in his chair. Baba gestured that they should come forward and embrace him. Mik went first and then Ursula. Baba motioned for them to sit down against the wall opposite him. Adi sat on the floor next to Baba's chair.
Later, Mik recollected:
My eyes went straight to Baba, who was sitting four to five feet away. I started walking toward him and it seemed like the room kept getting bigger and bigger. Baba was so near, yet so far away, and I was afraid that I was not going to get there. Then all of a sudden Baba's arms went up and he was pulling me down into his arms for an embrace. That is the most precious and lingering touch-feeling I have ever had in my life. I can still feel it on my shoulders, where he put his hands.