What difficulties did Cholkar face before his trip to Shirdi, and how did he maintain his vow during that time?

The text explains that Cholkar, being a "worldly man," found the "threshold-ghat" very difficult to cross, which implies he faced financial hardships related to home expenses that delayed his pilgrimage to Shirdi. Despite this long delay, he remained steadfast in his vow to Sai Baba. As described in Chapter 15, Cholkar completely avoided sugar as if it were an inedible substance during this period. He was so strict in his observance that he even drank his tea without any sugar until the time came when he could finally travel to Shirdi and fulfill his promise.