What was Madhavrao Deshpande's role in helping Dixit, and why was his arrival in Nagar so surprising?

Madhavrao Deshpande played the pivotal role of being the guide who finally enabled H.S. Dixit's journey to Shirdi. According to Chapter 51, while Dixit was anxiously seeking a companion in Nagar, Madhavrao's arrival was completely unexpected. He had traveled from Chitali after receiving a telegram stating his mother-in-law was very ill. His presence was a surprise because his journey was for a personal family emergency. However, upon arriving, he found his mother-in-law's health was fine. This led characters in the story, and the reader, to believe his arrival was divinely orchestrated specifically to fulfill Dixit's intense desire to be taken to Sai Baba's feet, a task for which Madhavrao, as Baba's priest, was uniquely suited.