Rekindling faith
15th June 2016— a date that will forever stay etched in my memory, for it marked a profound turning point in my life. That day, I lost my beloved husband, Milind. Throughout my life, I was deeply spiritual and religious, placing immense faith in the power of prayers. Yet, during the tumultuous days of June 12th to 15th, no prayer or plea could alter my fate. I was left feeling bereft, helpless, and filled with anger towards God and the universe. In my grief, I ceased praying and stopped lighting the evening lamp. My humble home temple gathered dust; the lamps remained unlit, bearing the remnants of past rituals of faith and devotion. Life moved forward, but my anger and despair toward the divine grew. I seethed in my grief until, one day—just before Ganesh Chaturthi—I received a WhatsApp image of Shree Siddhivinayak Ganpati from one of my husband's clients. He was elderly, and I remembered feeling a calming aura during our brief interactions. I continued to delete the images withou...