Despite his cynical and argumentative nature, what circumstances led the author to eventually visit Shirdi?

The author, who described himself as a staunch debater and proud of his intellect, attributes his journey to Shirdi to strong destiny and past-life connections. As explained in Chapter 2, he states that if not for the insistence of Kakasaheb Dixit and Nanasaheb Chandorkar, he would never have gone. Even after the trip was fixed, his mind suddenly changed on the day of departure. This change was prompted by a tragic event that happened to a close friend in Lonavala, whose healthy son died from a fever despite all human remedies and even the physical presence of his Guru. This incident, where a Guru's power seemed to fail, likely shook the author's logic-driven worldview, paving the way for his fateful meeting with Sai Baba.