Repack | Vaishno Devi January

As Kavya ate, the sadhu looked at Anjali. “You are not climbing for a job or for money,” he said. It wasn’t a question. “You are climbing to find the strength to forgive.”

“ Beta, ” he said to Kavya, his voice surprisingly strong. He reached into a small jute bag and pulled out two pieces of gur (jaggery) and a handful of roasted chana. “Eat. The Mother provides warmth.” vaishno devi january

Anjali’s heart clenched. She saw other pilgrims, some elderly, being carried in palkis (palanquins) by sturdy porters whose faces were cracked by the wind. A pony man offered his service, but the fare was more than Anjali had budgeted for the entire trip. She knelt down, wrapping her own shawl around Kavya. As Kavya ate, the sadhu looked at Anjali

And as they began the descent, the mountain stood silent witness. The bells in the temple tolled a soft, deep note, carrying the prayers of the winter pilgrims—prayers that had traveled a little farther, through a little more silence, and had finally been heard. “You are climbing to find the strength to forgive

Beside her, Kavya gently placed the orange chunni on the pindi as an offering.

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.