Why was Mamlatdar Dev so confused and doubtful even after he had served the Sanyasi and his companions a full meal?

Mamlatdar Dev remained confused and doubtful because he failed to recognize that the Sanyasi was Sai Baba in disguise. According to Chapter 40, Dev had been expecting Baba to attend his Udyapan ceremony as promised. When the Sanyasi and his two companions showed up uninvited for a meal, Dev's mind was clouded by a "veil of Maya." He treated them as ordinary guests who had come for a meal and did not connect their presence to Baba's promise. This delusion was so strong that even after personally serving the three uninvited guests, he felt Baba had not come and wrote to his friend Jog seeking an explanation.