Journey Beyond Lust, Anger, and Ego
In a world drowning in noise, where people chase temporary highs—of lust, power, and pride—a boy sat in stillness. His name is unimportant. Because this is not just his story. It is the story of everyone who ever asked, "Is there something more to life than this chaos?"
He had everything that the modern world offers: notifications, validation, friendships, ambition, desires. But amidst all that, he felt empty. There were moments when laughter filled the room, yet he remained silent inside. Nights when the world slept, and his mind screamed with questions.
One evening, overwhelmed and suffocated, he left everything behind and walked alone. The city lights faded, replaced by the gentle shimmer of a river under the moonlight. There, he saw his reflection—not just the face, but the fatigue in his eyes. He knelt, touched the water, and whispered, "Who am I really?"
And the water, in its stillness, spoke: "Let go."
That moment began his inner journey.
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The Three Storms
In this journey, he faced not monsters outside, but storms within.
1. The Storm of Lust
He met a man who chased beauty in every face, swiping endlessly through images, diving into fleeting connections. This man lived with an eternal ache—a hunger disguised as desire. Each time he reached fulfillment, emptiness returned like an echo.
One day, the man sat beside him and admitted, "I’ve never felt whole." Together, in silence, they watched a leaf fall into the river. "Real love," the boy said, "is not about taking. It's about becoming."
Slowly, the man stopped chasing and began observing—nature, silence, himself. In those moments, he found peace. Lust didn’t vanish, but it no longer ruled him.
2. The Storm of Anger
Next, he met a woman, fierce and sharp-tongued. Her words sliced through people. She had been wronged, and every injustice left a scar. Anger became her armor.
But even warriors grow tired. One afternoon, she broke. Under a tree, she sobbed like a child, remembering the girl she once was.
He sat beside her, not to fix her, but to feel with her.
"Anger kept me alive," she said.
"But does it keep you free?" he asked.
Through tears, she began to forgive—not others, but herself. In forgiveness, the fire softened. She still had strength, but now it healed, not hurt.
3. The Storm of Ego
Lastly, he met a boy obsessed with image. A rising star on every screen. But behind the filters and the applause, he felt lost. One failure shattered him. He broke down, humiliated.
"They loved who I pretended to be," he said.
He looked at the boy and asked, "Do you love who you are when no one’s watching?"
The ego melted slowly. The boy stopped performing and started living. The light he was seeking outside, he found within.
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The Teachings of Gita
As the journey deepened, he turned to ancient wisdom—the Bhagavad Gītā.
> "From desire, arises anger; from anger, delusion; from delusion, memory loss; from loss of memory, the destruction of intelligence; and from the destruction of intelligence, one perishes." — Bhagavad Gītā 2.63
These were not just verses—they were maps to freedom.
The boy understood:
Desire is not evil, but unchecked, it enslaves.
Anger is not strength, but pain unhealed.
Ego is not identity, but fear of being nothing.
He chose a new path:
To live like water—flowing, adapting, gentle but strong.
To seek like light—revealing, warming, guiding.
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His Realization
He didn’t renounce the world. He simply saw it clearly. He still loved. Still laughed. But now, without attachment. He still felt emotions, but they didn’t rule him.
One night, he returned to that river. The moonlight danced on the water.
This time, he didn’t ask, "Who am I?"
He knew.
He was the stillness beneath the storm.
He was water—ever-changing, yet calm.
He was light—quiet, yet powerful.
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“WATER / LIGHT” is not a tale of escape. It is a journey of return—to self, to silence, to truth.
We all carry storms. But beyond them, waits the river.
Are you ready to walk to it?
WATER / LIGHT: Conclusion
This is not a story with an end. This is a doorway.
To live without lust is to value the soul over the skin.
To live without anger is to hold silence in storms.
To live without ego is to walk without a name, but still be known.
You, the reader, are not here by accident.
This is your calling too—to choose your elements wisely.
Let your heart be water.
Let your path be light.
And let the world change… not because you shouted,
but because you shined.
Author’s Note
Dear Reader,
When I first began writing WATER / LIGHT, I wasn’t chasing a story—I was searching for silence.
A silence deeper than noise, untouched by anger, lust, or ego. In that stillness, I met these three shadows—not as enemies, but as misunderstood companions.
This book is not just fiction.
It is a mirror, a map, and maybe, a prayer.
Every chapter you’ve read is a piece of that inner search. Nivaan’s journey isn’t separate from mine, and maybe not from yours either. The battle between desires and peace lives within all of us.
And I believe that even in the darkest hour, water remembers how to flow. Light remembers how to shine.
If this book made you pause—even for a moment—if it made you reflect, question, smile, or close your eyes in thought—then it has done its work.
I thank you not just for reading, but for feeling.
Keep flowing. Keep glowing.
With silence and light,
Pulagam Bhadrinath
Author of WATER / LIGHT
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