The sun hung low in the sky, casting a golden glow over the village as Sumati knelt at the entrance of her home. In her hand, she held a small piece of white chalk, using it to carefully draw the sacred footprints of the goddesses Lakshmi, Vaibhavi, and Alakshmi on the floor. Each stroke was deliberate, her devotion clear in the precision with which she traced the outlines.
Sumati's home was simple, but she had always kept it in a way that invited peace and prosperity. Today, however, was special—she felt compelled to honor the goddesses in a way she hadn't before. After everything the village had been through, after learning the lessons of balance and faith, she wanted to ensure that the goddesses' presence was felt in her home at all times.
As she drew the footprints—Lakshmi's delicate imprints, Vaibhavi's symbol of wisdom, and Alakshmi's representation of balance—other women from the village gathered nearby. They watched curiously as Sumati worked in silence, unaware of the significance of her actions.
Deepa, her closest friend and neighbor, approached her first. "Sumati, what is it you're doing?" she asked, her voice soft with curiosity. The other women listened, waiting for an answer.
Without looking up from her task, Sumati smiled. "I am drawing the footprints of the goddesses. It is a sign of devotion. When they step through this door, they will know they are welcome, and our home will be blessed with prosperity, wisdom, and balance."
The women exchanged glances, intrigued. They had seen Sumati's faith before, but this seemed different. There was a calmness in her movements, a quiet certainty that what she was doing carried great importance.
"Will it work?" another woman asked, her voice full of wonder.
Sumati paused and looked up, her eyes serene. "The goddesses are always with us, watching over us. By honoring them with these symbols, I believe they will bless us even more. It's not just about the drawings—it's about the faith we put behind them."
The women nodded, slowly beginning to understand. Many of them decided that when they returned to their own homes, they would do the same. They, too, would honor the goddesses and invite their presence into their homes, hoping for the blessings of prosperity, wisdom, and balance.
As the evening wore on, Sumati finished the drawings, her heart full. She stood and admired her work, satisfied that it reflected her devotion to the goddesses. She offered a quiet prayer, then went inside to prepare for the night.
That night, as Sumati slept, something miraculous happened.
The air around her home grew still, and a soft, golden light began to fill the room. Unbeknownst to her, the goddesses Lakshmi, Vaibhavi, and Alakshmi had heard her prayer, and they had come to bless her home.
Lakshmi, her form radiant and filled with grace, was the first to step forward. Her bare feet glided over the sacred imprints that Sumati had so carefully drawn. As Lakshmi's feet touched the ground, the footprints shimmered with golden light, glowing with divine energy.
Next came Vaibhavi, her serene presence exuding wisdom. She stepped into the imprints made for her, and the symbols of knowledge and enlightenment that Sumati had drawn glowed with a silver light, a soft yet powerful energy that filled the room with peace.
Finally, Alakshmi, the goddess of balance, approached. Her presence, often feared, brought a sense of calm and quiet purpose. As she stepped into her imprints, the marks shimmered with a dark yet comforting glow. The balance between fortune and misfortune, between prosperity and hardship, was restored within the home.
The three goddesses stood in the entrance, their divine presence blessing the house with abundance, wisdom, and harmony. Though Sumati remained asleep, she could feel their presence in her dreams—a gentle, loving energy that reassured her that all was well.
The next morning, Sumati woke with a sense of peace that she hadn't felt in a long time. There was something different about the air in her home—lighter, yet filled with a sense of purpose. She walked to the entrance, gazing down at the footprints she had drawn, now faintly glowing as though they had been touched by the divine.
Before she could contemplate what had happened, her husband rushed into the house, his face filled with awe.
"Sumati!" he exclaimed, his voice breathless. "You won't believe what's happened in the fields!"
Sumati looked at him, confused. "What is it?"
Her husband smiled widely, his eyes shining. "A miracle, Sumati. The fields—they've transformed overnight. The crops that had withered… they're now taller and healthier than I've ever seen them. It's as if the land itself has been blessed!"
Sumati's heart leapt. She knew in that moment that the goddesses had visited her home and had blessed not only her family but the land they owned. Her husband's words confirmed what she had felt the night before—the goddesses had stepped through the door, walking upon the footprints she had drawn, leaving their blessings behind.
Her husband, still amazed by the sudden change, continued. "I can't explain it, Sumati. It's like everything has been renewed, like the land is alive again."
Sumati smiled softly, her faith unwavering. "The goddesses have visited us," she whispered. "They walked in the footprints, and they blessed our home and our land. This is their gift."
Her husband, though not as devout as Sumati, could see the truth in her eyes. He had witnessed the miracle himself, and though he didn't fully understand it, he knew that something divine had touched their lives.
Together, they stood in the entrance of their home, gazing at the blessed imprints on the floor. The rest of the village would soon hear of the miracle in their fields, and they, too, would come to understand the power of faith and devotion.
Sumati's home, now blessed by the goddesses, would forever be a place of prosperity, wisdom, and balance—a testament to the power of belief and the blessings of the divine.
This chapter focuses on the blessings received by Sumati and her family as a result of her devotion to the goddesses.