What was Cholkar's 'threshold-ghat', and why did he stop eating sugar?

Cholkar's 'threshold-ghat' was a metaphor for his difficult financial situation and the challenge of managing household expenses. Chapter 15 explains that his entire livelihood depended on his job, which in turn depended on passing an exam. After Baba's grace helped him pass, he still found it difficult to save enough money for the journey to Shirdi to fulfill his vow. This struggle with daily expenses was likened to crossing a difficult mountain pass, or 'ghat.' Because there was a long delay between passing the exam and being able to fulfill his vow, Cholkar took up a personal penance: he completely gave up sugar. He avoided it as an 'inedible substance' and even drank his tea without it, as a secret act of devotion and remorse for the delay in completing his promise to Baba.