Can you describe the sequence of events leading to the discovery of the snake at the Maruti temple in Chitali?

Certainly. After arriving in Chitali, Mirikar and Madhavrao stayed at the Maruti temple. As described in Chapter 22, after one watch of the night had passed, they were sitting and talking. Mirikar began reading a newspaper, becoming completely engrossed in the news. During this time, a snake silently entered and coiled itself on the soft end of Mirikar's upper cloth (uparne) which was on his waist, using it as a seat. A 'sur-sur-sur' sound was heard, likely from the snake's movement against the paper, but no one suspected its true cause. It was a peon who, wondering about the source of the sound, lifted a lamp to investigate and was panicked to discover 'Lambu Maharaj' (the snake) resting there peacefully.