Vaishno Devi January -

They trudged on. The steep climb to Himkoti was the crux. The wind was relentless, and for the first time, Anjali felt the cold seep into her bones—a cold that mirrored the emptiness Rohit had left behind. A wave of bitterness washed over her. Why did she come? The Goddess was silent. The mountain was indifferent.

“Look, baby,” she said, pointing to a frozen waterfall that sparkled like a thousand diamonds in the pale winter sun. “Mata has decorated the mountain just for us.” vaishno devi january

The story of her journey had begun not with faith, but with a fracture. Three months ago, her husband, Rohit, had lost his job. The city lights of Gurugram had dimmed, replaced by the shadow of debt and the echo of arguments. Last week, he had packed a bag, saying he needed “space,” leaving Anjali alone in a half-empty flat with their seven-year-old daughter, Kavya. It was then that her mother had called, her voice a fragile thread over the phone: “ Beti, go to Mata. She listens when the heart is coldest.” They trudged on

Anjali looked from his face to the sun-drenched peaks, to Kavya who was already running to hug her father. She remembered the sadhu’s words. The cold hadn’t been her enemy. It had been the chisel that cracked her heart open. A wave of bitterness washed over her