Why was Kashiram carrying a bundle of sugar, and what happened to him immediately after he was attacked by thieves?

Kashiram was carrying a bundle of powdered sugar because a saint named Janakidas Baba had advised him to feed sugar to ants. This act of charity made the bundle very dear to him, which is why he refused to let the thieves take it. After he fought back and was struck unconscious with an axe, the thieves left him, thinking he was a corpse. However, as Chapter 0 narrates, he was not dead. After regaining consciousness, his faith in Sai Baba was so complete that he refused to go to a hospital. He insisted, "Take me to Shirdi." He was brought there, and under Maharaj's instructions, he was treated by Madhavrao Deshpande and made a full recovery by Baba's grace.