Who is Hemadpant, and how does the author describe his own character before becoming a true devotee?

As introduced in Chapter 2, Hemadpant is the name by which the author of the 'Sai Leela' book is known. The text promises to tell the story of how he received this name. The author provides a very candid self-assessment of his own character before his transformation, describing himself as "mischievous, talkative, cynical, and critical." He admits to having a "logic-driven mind" and being "always proud of his own wisdom," which made him prone to argumentation. This honest description reveals he was initially skeptical and arrogant about his knowledge, lacking an understanding of the Satguru's greatness.