How does the author's personal experience in Bandra, as narrated in Chapter 21, serve as a prelude to his eventual connection with Shirdi and a broader commentary on destiny and grace?

In Chapter 21, the author uses his past experience of refusing to visit the Siddha Pir Maulana in Bandra as a powerful illustration of a key spiritual principle. He attributes his failure to meet the Siddha to his own pride and, more importantly, "ill-luck," suggesting that divine encounters are not a matter of mere proximity or persuasion but of earned fortune and grace. The narrative then pivots, stating that after many years passed and he was transferred, "Shirdi became an unbreakable bond." This contrast highlights that the company of Saints is only possible when God’s grace is present, a time that had not yet come for him in Bandra but was destined for him in Shirdi.