How does the author describe his own personality before he came to follow Sai Baba, and what led him to Shirdi despite this nature?

In Chapter 2, the author, who would later be known as Hemadpant, describes his former self in a very critical light. He states that he was mischievous, talkative, cynical, and prone to argumentation. He was proud of his own wisdom and had a logic-driven mind, knowing nothing of a Satguru's greatness. Despite this disposition, he was drawn to Shirdi. The text attributes this to "destiny" and a "past life connection with Kakasaheb Dixit and Nanasaheb Chandorkar." It was specifically due to Kakasaheb's insistence that the trip was arranged. The author suggests that without this karmic link and friendly pressure, his argumentative nature would have likely prevented him from ever visiting Shirdi and seeing Sai's lotus feet.