The other day, I got a call from someone I consider as my younger brother. He sounded so dejected and desolate. ‘BJP lost Ayodhya Akka, how could this happen, we were there on the 22nd January, we saw how saffronised everything was, how could this happen in less than six months’, he asked. I could almost feel the weight of his disappointment through the phone. It made my heart ache. I knew I needed to step in and help him see the bigger picture. I reminded him of a shloka from the Geeta that helps us prod through tough times; "sukh-duḥkhe same kṛitvā, lābhālābhau jayājayau," which means to treat joy and sorrow, gain and loss, victory and defeat with equal calmness. These words remind us that true strength lies in remaining stoic and steady, no matter the outcome. Modi’s speech at the BJP HQ on the evening of the 6th is a great example of living that shloka. He did not sound bitter, subdued, or even fatigued. Despite all the setbacks he faces, Modi keeps pushing forward with an unyielding spirit and that’s what makes him an exceptional leader. If this setback hurt us, his ordinary supporters so much, it should have affected Modi a lot more, but he showed the equanimity and stoicism that is the hallmark of a true leader. I could see that he was feeling better, but not quite convinced yet, so I thought I would remind him of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Maharaj built an empire from zero, and just when Hindavi Swarajya was taking shape, he was forced to sign the humiliating treaty of Purandar, cede 90% of his forts and go to Agra, where he was taken prisoner by Aurangzeb, far away from his homeland and his people. It seemed like an insurmountable setback. But Shivaji Maharaj didn't give up. He waited for the right time to meticulously plan his escape, disguising himself and his son as labourers carrying sweet baskets. Against all odds, they managed to flee Agra. When he returned to Raigad, his kingdom was a shadow of its former self. But Shivaji Maharaj wasn’t dejected. He started again and didn't just reclaim his lost territories; he expanded them to build into an even greater empire. 350 years to this day, he was crowned as Chhatrapati in a glittering Vedic ceremony revived after centuries. Shivrajyabhishek was one of the greatest events in Bharat’s history. If Shivaji Maharaj could rise above such immense challenges, so can we, an electoral setback is nothing in comparison to the monumental challenges Maharaj faced. I could tell he was starting to see things differently, but I wanted to make sure he truly understood the deeper meaning behind his efforts. I asked him ‘why are you so passionate about this cause? And then I shared with him a zen koan I'd read that always stuck with me. There was a monk walking along the beach, and he noticed hundreds of starfish washed ashore, struggling to survive. One by one, he started throwing them back into the ocean. A passerby saw this and asked, 'Why are you doing this? You can't possibly save them all. What difference does it make?' The monk didn’t pause as he picked up another starfish, threw it back into the ocean, and said, 'It made a difference to this one’. In this case, we are the monk and we are the starfish. Helping the starfish live provided the monk with a sense of purpose and fulfilment, which is why he was doing it. Hindutva is like that for us. We fight not just for political victories, but for the satisfaction of knowing that we didn't go quietly into the night. Our struggles and efforts are about standing firm in our beliefs, drawing strength from our heritage, and making a difference in our lives and the lives of those around us. By the end of our conversation, I could sense a change in his tone. ‘Thanks Akka’, he said, I needed this dose. I smiled. He didn’t know it, but I needed that dose too, and in calling me, he had given me the chance to administer it to myself Shefali Vaidya