Chaitanya's Chest

 Chaitanya's chest had fallen long ago. It was gone! Yet he breathed somehow, for he believed that he would find his chest one day.Just the way we all fall at times, yet we raise our heads in hope, with the hope that someday we shall build that strength to walk again fearless.

Times were difficult. He felt quite empty at times, since there was no chest. There were tears in his eyes all the time and he never understood the reason behind those tears. He tried hard yet all he got was more tears in answers. One fine day he made a decision, he would not look for the reasons of his tears, rather he would look beyond them to search for light.

Where was light? Why was light so important? Light's scope wasn't limited to survival, it meant something more than that, magic. Thus Chaitanya closed his eyes. He quickly realised that there was no chest. Several incidents from the past, tough circumstances in family, self doubt, trauma-physical and mental had made him lose his chest. A question followed the realisation though, who was it that was reiterating the fact that he had lost his chest? Darkness. No answers. Whom will he get his answers from? Thus very slowly he begins calling the creator, from where he originated, his mother, Goddess Durga!

Have you seen fireflies in a forest? She was the sum of a trillion Fireflies flying in grace in the darkness which stood ahead of Chaitanya. In reality there was no more darkness now, there was only light! Ah! Light! Did it mean pure intentions and pure calls made one discover light? As Ma arrived and kept her hand on Chaitanya's head, he fell on her feet, he fell yet something rose, something rose with might.

Promises. Commitment. Faith. The three intermingled and glowed brilliantly around the emotion of love inside him. A promise to fight again with positivity. A commitment to himself to not surrender to darkness. A faith that despite all odds Light is the ultimate reality and winner. The core - Love, for Ma Durga, which derived its seeds from an attempt to understand her infinite nature, unblemished emotion to give selflessly, a quest to think beyond ego and understand what others need, feel their pain and spread that cosmic luminescence.

A lion roars somewhere. Yes It is Ma Durga's lion. As it roars louder and  comes nearer, something somewhere roars within Chaitanya too. The spirit is rising. Ma Durga' blessings are the ultimate Shakti one can achieve as a human. Chaitanya had achieved it with his Bhakti. As Ma climbed on her lion majestically Chaitanya smiled.

A waterfall inside. Yes. The tears have changed their directions. They don't fall on Chaitanya's cheeks now , they begin falling inside. Inside his soul as the drops sprinkle sparkles , someone silently comes inside the waterfall. Ma Durga sitting on her lion. Her Abhishek being done by the water which is so magical and strong that it has the ability to find Ma Durga in any corner of the cosmos and fall on her gently. This water used to be in pain once, reacting sensitively to the colours of the world, but now it was prudent and full of strength, performing the Abhishek of the param Shakti herself.

Who said they were two different beings. Chaitanya wasn't her son or devotee any more, he was her indivisible part, not even a part, he was flowing inside her like rivers and she was penetrating his waves like the warm sunlight in winter. Om. 'Om' he chanted. As they United, Chaitanya reached superconsciousness. Steadily Chaitanya opened his eyes. He was sitting along a river, in which he saw himself, in which he saw his chest-broad, muscular, on his body.A Chest which he thought had fallen but was right there , vibrant with Shakti.

Challenges of life didn't stop and why should they, they are necessary to make one tough. Though there was something supernatural . It was the magic of Chaitanya's thoughts -which desired to make the ones in need realise the Mahima(glory) of Ma Durga. Thus whenever he hugged anyone in pain and distress, and his chest touched theirs, they felt in their chests what he had felt, Ma Durga riding on her roaring lion, smiling, telling them how close she was!