Who was Chand Patil and what was the story of his first encounter with Sai Baba?

Chand Patil was a resident of Dhup village in the Aurangabad district. As detailed in Chapter 5, his story begins with him losing his mare and searching for her for two months without success. Disappointed, he was returning home when he encountered a Fakir, who was Sai Baba, under a mango tree. Baba was described as wearing a cap and a kafni, holding a short stick (satka), and preparing a chillum. This chance meeting was the beginning of the events that would eventually lead Baba back to Shirdi with Patil.