Love has a peculiar way of showing up at the wrong time. It happened when I was preparing for the UPSC exam after graduation. And just like that, it ended when I needed stability the most—2.5 months before the prelims, the biggest exam of my life.

Breakups are hard, but some things feel unforgivable. I did what felt like justice, even though it tore me apart. I still remember walking out of classrooms just half an hour into the three-hour test series papers, unable to focus. I was emotionally invested, and the pain was indescribable. Yet, I endured. No one around me knew the storm I was battling inside. That year, I missed the prelims cutoff by just four marks.

As failures piled up, my parents began to notice something was wrong. Concerned, my elder sister suggested consulting an astrologer she trusted for solutions. He was renowned for uncovering people’s deepest secrets. I resisted for days, dreading the idea of my pain being exposed.

Eventually, I gave in. I met the astrologer at my sister’s home, my heart pounding with every step. Sitting before him, I silently prayed that he wouldn’t reveal my hidden struggles.

To my surprise, he didn’t offer any solution. Instead, he simply patted my back, his hand warm and reassuring.

Then he said something that struck me deeply: “Don’t worry. Everything you need is already inside you.”

That one line was a revelation. It rekindled my self-belief. From that moment, I began rebuilding myself. I cleared several exams, and my life transformed in ways I had never imagined.

Sometimes, the most profound truths come from unexpected sources, reminding us that the strength to rise lies within us all.