Despite his cynical nature, what factors led the author to visit Shirdi?

Although the author was initially a staunch debater and proud of his intellect, his visit to Shirdi was orchestrated by what he calls 'strong destiny.' As explained in Chapter 2, he credits his past-life connections with Kakasaheb Dixit and Nanasaheb Chandorkar as the reason he ever had the chance to see Sai's lotus feet. The trip was specifically fixed due to Kakasaheb's insistence. Even so, the author's reluctance was evident, as his mind suddenly changed on the day of departure after hearing a tragic story about a friend's son, which shows how his argumentative and cynical mind was still hesitant about the journey.