Describe Damu Anna's emotional state throughout his attempt to get permission for the cotton trade.

Damu Anna's emotional journey was a volatile one. Initially, he was filled with ambitious hope, having built a "kingdom of the mind" where he envisioned earning lakhs and becoming a wealthy money-lender. Chapter 25 details how this hope was crushed upon receiving Baba's reply; he became "disappointed" and "very crestfallen," feeling the "tree of hope was uprooted." He berated himself for causing his own harm by writing the letter. However, a hint in the letter prompted him to visit Shirdi in person, which rekindled a small flame of hope. This is shown when he travels to Baba but then sits and massages his feet, having "no courage to ask," revealing his mixed state of lingering disappointment and cautious optimism.