Describe the author's personality and mindset before he went to Shirdi, as he explains it himself.

In Chapter 2, the author, who would later be known as Hemadpant, provides a candid self-assessment of his character before his transformative experiences. He describes himself as having been mischievous, talkative, cynical, and critical. He admits to having a "bad intellect and a logic-driven mind," being proud of his own wisdom, and prone to argumentation. He even calls himself a "staunch debater." He credits his past life connections with Kakasaheb Dixit and Nanasaheb Chandorkar for the fact that he ever made the trip to Shirdi, implying that his argumentative nature would not have otherwise led him there.