Baba would gesture, "Yes, I love you."
"How much do you love me?"
"Very much."
"How could you love me so much?"
"As you love me so much, so also I love you!"
"But I remember you!"
"I remember you, too."
"I say, 'Baba, Baba, Baba.' " What do you say?"
Smiling, Baba replied, "Dolly, Dolly, Dolly!"
On 13 April 1966, Swami Laxmidas, a sincere seeker in his forties from Rishikesh, arrived at Guruprasad. Baba made an exception and granted him a five-minute audience. Baba seemed very happy to see him, and Baba embraced him twice. The swami had read Baba's literature in Hindi, and was in contact with Keshav Nigam. Indumati Naik of Nagpur came with her two sons the same day. After giving them darshan, Baba asked them to leave.
James Hall McGrew, 22, and Rick Chapman had been friends in high school in Denver and they had been roommates during their freshman year at Harvard. In 1965, during his last semester of college, through a friend Jim became seriously interested in India, and desired to go there. In May 1965 he applied for a position with the Peace Corps in India and was accepted. He was in Denver in July, preparing to depart, when Rick visited and told him about Meher Baba.
Rick had found out about Baba in the spring of 1965 through Allan Cohen. Rick was returning from San Francisco, full of enthusiasm for Baba, having met Ivy Duce, Don Stevens and the Sufis there. He had seen movies of Baba, purchased some books, and signed up for the charter flight to India for the sahavas, which at that time had been planned by Baba for December 1965. Jim and Rick had both become interested in spirituality the year before in Boston, and McGrew became keenly interested in Baba. Jim related:
I myself had become profoundly disillusioned with Western civilization and what it had to offer. The prospect of graduating from college, entering professional life, getting a house in the suburbs, and striving for success in this materialistic society left a taste of ashes in my mouth. I became unhappy and discouraged at what life had to offer. Mysticism seemed to offer an alternative to the materialistic life so common to the West.
As related, in September 1965, Baba canceled the December sahavas, promising to meet his lovers "sometime, somewhere, somehow." Baba further announced his intention to go into seclusion and his wish to be undisturbed even though he was keenly aware of the heartbreak of his lovers who missed seeing him.