Why was the son in the Tarkhad family so hesitant to travel to Shirdi with his mother?

The son's hesitation, as described in Chapter 9, stemmed from his deep and disciplined devotion to Sai Baba. His daily routine involved performing worship of Sai's photograph and offering Naivedya, and he would not consume food without completing this ritual. His main worry was who would perform this worship regularly in his absence. This concern was magnified because his father, Babasaheb Tarkhad, was a follower of the Prarthana Samaj, and the son was unsure if his father would be willing or able to perform what he considered a form of idol worship, creating a 'great puzzle' for him.