Why was the Tarkhad son so worried about going to Shirdi, and what did his father have to do to convince him?

The Tarkhad son was hesitant to travel to Shirdi because he was deeply concerned about who would continue the daily worship of Sai Baba's photograph at their home. As detailed in Chapter 9, his daily routine involved offering 'Naivedya' (food offering) to Sai, and he would not eat without doing so. His father, being a follower of the Prarthana Samaj, was not accustomed to idol worship, which made the son anxious about the continuity of this sacred practice. To convince him, his father, Babasaheb Tarkhad, had to give a firm promise. He assured his son that he would personally perform the daily worship and offer the Naivedya, vowing that no one in the house would consume food before it was first dedicated to Sai. Only upon receiving this solemn assurance did the son agree to make the journey.