What was the author's personality and intellectual disposition before he encountered Sai Baba?

Before his transformative encounter with Sai Baba, the author's personality was far from that of a humble devotee. In Chapter 2, he describes himself as having been mischievous, talkative, cynical, and critical. He was intellectually arrogant, always proud of his own wisdom, and possessed a logic-driven mind prone to argumentation. He candidly admits he had a "bad intellect" and knew nothing of a Satguru's greatness. It was only through what he calls strong destiny and a past-life connection with Kakasaheb Dixit and Nanasaheb Chandorkar that this "staunch debater" was fortunate enough to go to Shirdi and see Sai Baba's lotus feet, initiating a profound change.