The lady in white

Chapter 8: The Silent Compass

​The smoky scent of the gray scrap didn't fade, even after I washed my hands multiple times. It was a physical anchor, a piece of ‘there’ that had somehow become ‘here.’ I sat at the kitchen table, staring at the damp circle of earth slowly drying into a pale, ghostly ring on the wood. My scientific mind, trained in psychology and logic, screamed that this was impossible. But the cloth was tangible. The smell was real.

​I reached for my phone, my thumb hovering over a work app, but the screen flickered strangely. A video recommendation appeared—one I had never sought. It was about the ‘Durga Kavach.’ The voice in the video spoke of a ‘shield of light’ that protects the traveler of realms. I didn't click it; I didn't have to. The title was the message. I was being told to arm myself.

​“Beta?”

​I jumped, nearly knocking over my chair. My father was standing in the doorway. For a terrifying split second, my vision blurred, and I saw the cold, unfeeling eyes of the man from my nightmare—the one who had tried to suffocate me. But then he blinked, and the warmth returned to his face. He just looked tired, older, and perhaps a little worried.

​“I found this,” he said, extending a hand. It was a small, leather-bound book with frayed edges. “It was your Nani’s. Spells and shlokas from the Ramayana. I don’t know why, but I felt you should have it today.”

​As the book touched my palm, the throbbing headache I’d carried since waking vanished instantly. This wasn't a coincidence. This was the Lady’s hand, moving through the people I loved most, guiding them to help me even when they didn't understand why.

​I retreated to my room and tried to force myself back into my "normal" life. I opened my laptop, staring at the empty enrollment screens of my teaching platform. I was struggling—fighting to find a proper job, trying to get students to enroll in my online classes to earn some freelance income—but nothing was working. The frustration of the real world, combined with the panic from my dreams, felt like a tightening noose.

​How could I be a science student and a teacher when I was experiencing things that defied every law of physics? I felt like I was losing my mind. The time slipped away in a blur of anxiety until it was late evening.

​“Beta, light the lamp in the temple,” Mummy called out from the hallway. “Then make tea for everyone.”

​I was annoyed, frustrated, and deep down, still a little terrified. My brain was screaming for rest, but I stood up to do as I was asked. I walked to the small temple corner and struck a match. As the orange glow of the diya flickered to life, I felt a sudden, quiet urge to give the Durga Kavach a try.

​I took out the Durga Saptashati and opened the chapter.

​Suddenly, the terrifying weight of the day began to lift. The panic and frustration turned into a quiet, burning curiosity. As I read, each word felt like a personal assurance. It was as if a voice was whispering that Maa Kali was everywhere and at all times, standing between me and the shadows.

​I gave all my thoughts—my pain, my job confusion, and my fear—to the flame of the lamp. When I stood up, I felt a peace I hadn't known in weeks. I made the tea, served my parents, and finally sat down with my own cup.

​I was amazed. In just fifteen minutes, the "fog" of the unknown had started to reduce. It wasn't a coincidence that I had seen that video or received that book. The Lady in White was teaching me that before I could cross back into the other realms, I had to find the strength to stand firm in this one.