Why was Tarkhad's son so worried about traveling to Shirdi, and what was his father's religious background that made the situation complicated?

Tarkhad's son was worried about traveling to Shirdi because he had a strict daily vow of performing worship and offering 'Naivedya' (food offering) to a photograph of Sai Baba. As Chapter 9 explains, his main concern was who would continue this regular service in his absence. The situation was complicated by his father's beliefs. Babasaheb Tarkhad was a follower of the Prarthana Samaj, which made the son question if it would be right to entrust the task of idol worship to him. This created a significant puzzle for the son, who feared his devotional routine would be broken if he left.