What drove the lady from Akola to push past the curtain and present her offering to Baba while he was eating?

The lady's actions were driven by her intense determination and the deep enthusiasm of her devotion. As Chapter 28 explains, she had made a vow and traveled from Akola to Shirdi solely to offer khichdi. After a fourteen-day delay, her mind was unsettled, and her eagerness to fulfill the vow could not be contained. When she saw that Baba was eating behind a curtain, a custom that usually prevented anyone from entering, her urge was too strong to remain quiet. The text states her eagerness could not 'remain unfulfilled,' so she took matters into her own hands, moving the curtain 'by her own authority' to fulfill her desire.