Demons under the bed.

Many children go through that phase—the fear of monsters lurking under the bed. It's not really about monsters. It’s about the shadows we don’t yet understand. The whispers of stories we hear during the day. The weight of emotions we soak up without realizing it.

I was no different.

I grew up in a large, two-story ancestral home with a sprawling backyard full of fruit trees—mango, custard apple, gooseberry, coconut, and others that lined the old boundary walls. It sounds idyllic now, but back then, it held its share of shadows.

We were three kids raised mostly by my mother, a single mom for the larger part of our childhood. The bedrooms were upstairs—large spaces with heavy teakwood beds that felt too tall for little legs. Downstairs was the kitchen, dining room, and living area. A narrow stairway connected the two worlds.

I was always the first to go to bed. Mom and my sister stayed up late, reading in another room. My younger brother slept in his own space. I, however, was left alone to face the creeping dread of the dark—and the daunting task of getting out of bed in the middle of the night. Even going to the bathroom felt like a horror film.

One night, I’d had enough. I decided to face the demon.

I counted to three. My heart pounded. I held my breath. Then—like some tiny gladiator in cotton pajamas—I looked under the bed.

And… nothing. No monsters. No red-eyed demon. Not even a single dust bunny.

It was just clean, ordinary, and entirely unworthy of the terror it had inspired.

The freedom that moment gave me? Unmatched. I checked under the bed a few more nights in a row, just to be sure. On stormy nights, when the fear tried to sneak back in, I’d do it again. I can’t remember when I stopped needing to check, but I do remember the pride that came with it.

Even if the fear was irrational, I had faced it. And that mattered.

That small act of leaning into my fear turned out to be a theme that had repeated itself throughout my life.

Insecurity, uncertainty, loneliness—they all came knocking. But each time, I asked myself:
“What’s the worst that can happen?” And then I moved through it.

Life has not been a straight road. There have been steep climbs, sharp turns, and unexpected fog. And in those moments of isolation—some chosen, some not—I went deeper.

Who am I? Why am I here? Why these challenges?

And then came a deeper awareness. This Earth, this life—it’s Karma Bhoomi.
The world where our souls are put to learning through experiences until we complete the journey. Until we are ready for the final homecoming—salvation.

We are not here to escape challenges, but to evolve through them. Each brave act brings us one step closer to our divine self.

Love, honesty, and simple human kindness—that’s what makes us whole.

Reflection:

Is there a "monster under the bed" in your life right now? Something you’ve been avoiding because it feels too big or too scary?

Take a breath. Count to three. Look under.
You might find incredible freedom on the other side.