Nine Days of Hunger, Half a Day of Heart!

On the first day of Navratri fasting, I stared at a plate of vada pavs like it held all the world's answers.. By day three, hunger stopped screaming and started whispering.. It wasn't the enemy. It was the quiet in my head.. By day nine, even the hiss of boiling water sounded sharper, louder. Life’s subtle edges coming into focus..

Then came the visit to an animal rescue as part of a day of service.. A brown dog with a limp shuffled toward me, warm fur brushing my hand, tail wagging like he hadn’t noticed his own scars.. A horse leaned its head close, nostrils flaring, warm breath carrying the faint scent of hay, eyes calm but knowing.. seeking warmth and comfort .. Nearby, a few cows grazed slowly, sun catching their hides, noses nudging each other.. Aware, present, patient. For a few hours, I wasn’t the one giving. I was just being among them, feeling the pulse of survival, raw and unfiltered.

Fasting had stripped me down to the bare.. The rescue cracked me open.. Together, they made me notice the resilience threaded through hunger, pain, trust, and quiet presence.

I didn’t walk away lighter. I walked away heavier, carrying a weight that reminds me to notice, to feel, to show up.. Maybe that’s where life really lives..