Why was the Tarkhad family's son initially reluctant to travel to Shirdi, and what condition did he set for his father to agree to the trip?

The son's reluctance to travel to Shirdi stemmed from his deep devotion and daily worship routine for Sai Baba. As described in Chapter 9, he performed daily worship and offered 'Naivedya' (food offering) to Sai's photograph, a practice he would not neglect. His primary worry was that no one would continue this essential service in his absence. He was especially concerned because his father was a follower of the Prarthana Samaj and not accustomed to idol worship. The son resolved this by setting a firm condition for his father: he would only go to Shirdi if his father promised that no one in the household would eat before the Naivedya was offered to Sai. His father's agreement to this vow was the only thing that allowed the son to proceed with the journey.