What was the 'threshold-ghat' that Cholkar struggled with, and how did it relate to his vow of sugar?

The "threshold-ghat," mentioned in Chapter 15, is a metaphor for the immense difficulty of managing household expenses for a worldly man. The text explains that crossing this financial barrier at home is even harder than traversing the vast cliffs of the Sahyadri mountains. For Cholkar, this meant that even after passing his exam, he lacked the funds for the journey to Shirdi. This financial struggle forced him to delay the fulfillment of his vow to distribute sugar candy. As a result of this prolonged delay, Cholkar undertook a personal penance: he completely avoided sugar as if it were an "inedible substance," even drinking his tea unsweetened until he could finally make his pilgrimage to Baba and complete his offering.