Seeking The Goddess
Soumya stood beside the rock and thought about the strange dream. She had spent hours trying to decipher its meaning.
In the dream, she had heard the voice of a lady. ‘I am the lost goddess; come, find me!’ The dream had showed her the entrance to a cave atop a rocky terrain. Beneath, a gentle river with foamy water was flowing.
Legends said that the ancestral goddess of Soumya’s family had left the temple one day. The protector of her family had, in anger, simply walked away. One problem or the other kept on hitting the family. The women seemed to be the target mainly.
When she saw the dream, she decided to follow her intuition. Maybe she would find something that would point to the Goddess’ location.
The cave, perched atop the rocks, was the same one Soumya had seen in her dream. From where she was standing, it looked like an eerie realm. Taking a deep breath, she started her trek uphill. When she finally reached the top, she had to muster all her will. For, the entrance of the cave was dark and emitted a powerful aura. There was no sign of life beside it, neither fauna nor flora.
A most unwelcome sense of claustrophobia hit her. Shaking off her fear, she held her thoughts together. She proceeded inside the cave hoping she would make it back alive. She wondered what sort of a nightmarish place had she arrived!
The entrance stretched for a while until she came across a clearing. In the center, there was a rock over which she saw a slab reclining. Her spirits lifted and she marched ahead with renewed enthusiasm. She had had enough of the cave’s seemingly endless chasm. When she stood before the slab, she blinked in confusion. Huh, this was a most disappointing culmination!
She almost cried, for in front of her, stood a mirror. In deciphering the dream, how could she have done such a blunder! Even as she stood there, thinking what to do, she felt a shift in the air around her. A strong breeze blew in, and she heard the sound of many bells ringing together.
You are the lost Goddess, a voice thundered. It was the same voice which she, in her dream, had heard. I live inside every one as their valor. Every woman you meet, this, you remind her! I will leave if you don’t believe in your worth. To be dominated and controlled, you did not take birth! Find and make your own place in the world. Be strong and brave, for I live in you; trust my word!
The bells stopped ringing and Soumya dropped down on her knees. Tears flowed freely and filled her heart with peace. She finally understood that the Divine resided within her. All she had to do was invoke her valour.
She left the cave, having found the lost Divine. The Goddess had always been within her, she just needed to grow a spine!
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