How does the author describe his own personality and mindset before his transformative experiences, and how did he end up going to Shirdi?

The author, who would later be known as Hemadpant, describes his former self in very critical terms. In Chapter 2, he admits to being "mischievous, talkative, cynical, and critical." He was proud of his wisdom, prone to argumentation, and had a logic-driven mind that knew nothing of a Satguru's greatness. Despite this disposition, he went to Shirdi due to a past-life connection and the strong insistence of his friends, Kakasaheb Dixit and Nanasaheb Chandorkar. He notes that if not for their influence, a staunch debater like himself would likely have never made the journey to see Sai Baba's lotus feet.