How does the story of the Tarkhad family in Chapter 9 demonstrate Sai Baba's omniscience and connection with his devotees across great distances?

This story powerfully illustrates Sai Baba's divine awareness, transcending physical separation. The entire sequence of events—the father's promise, his unintentional failure to offer Naivedya, and his subsequent heart-wrenching repentance—takes place in Bandra. As Chapter 9 explicitly notes, Shirdi is hundreds of miles away. After describing Babasaheb Tarkhad's deep grief and his act of writing a letter to his son to seek forgiveness from Baba, the chapter concludes with a significant statement: "Immediately the news reached there; listen then to Baba’s words." This line implies that Sai Baba in Shirdi was instantly aware of the events in Bandra—the broken vow and the devotee's sincere remorse—at the very moment they happened, long before any physical message could have arrived. It serves as a testament to Baba's omniscience and shows that a devotee's sincere heart, whether in devotion or repentance, is immediately heard by him, regardless of distance.