When did the author's trip to Shirdi almost get canceled and what was his mindset at that time?

As described in Chapter 2, the author was initially a mischievous, talkative, and cynical person who was proud of his intellect and prone to argumentation. Despite this, he was set to visit Shirdi due to the insistence of Kakasaheb Dixit and Nanasaheb Chandorkar. However, on the very day he was supposed to depart, his mind suddenly changed and he hesitated to go. This change of heart coincided with a tragic event that occurred to a close friend in Lonavala, whose healthy young son was stricken with a fever and died, despite all human remedies and even the presence of a Guru at his side.