For several days, Arihant followed the practice the old man had taught him.
Every morning before sunrise, he sat quietly on the rooftop of his house. The village would still be asleep, and the sky would slowly shift from deep blue to pale orange.
During those moments, he closed his eyes and watched his breath.
At first, his mind was chaotic.
Thoughts appeared without warning—memories, fears, random images, and unfinished conversations. But instead of fighting them, Arihant simply observed.
Gradually, he began to notice something interesting.
Thoughts behaved like clouds.
They appeared, stayed for a short time, and then disappeared.
The more he watched them calmly, the less power they seemed to have.
For the first time in his life, Arihant felt that he was slowly learning how his own mind worked.
But just as his inner world began to calm, the outer world suddenly changed.
---
One afternoon, Arihant was returning from the library when he saw a crowd gathered near his house.
His heart immediately began to race.
Crowds in small villages usually meant trouble.
As he moved closer, he heard anxious voices.
"What happened?"
"Someone bring water!"
"Call the doctor!"
Arihant pushed through the crowd.
And then he saw it.
His father was lying on the ground.
His face was pale, and his breathing was heavy.
Arihant rushed forward.
"Father!"
His mother sat beside him, her eyes filled with fear.
"He collapsed while working in the field," she said with a trembling voice.
Arihant felt a wave of panic rising inside him.
The same mind that had been calm during meditation now felt like a storm.
Fear.
Worry.
Helplessness.
All emotions rushed through him at once.
For a moment, he felt completely overwhelmed.
But then something inside him remembered the old man's teachings.
Observe the mind.
Even in the middle of chaos, Arihant tried to remain aware of his thoughts.
The fear was still there.
But instead of letting it control him completely, he took a deep breath and focused on what needed to be done.
"We need to take him to the town doctor," Arihant said firmly.
Several neighbors helped lift his father onto a cart.
Within minutes, they began moving toward the town.
---
The journey felt endless.
Arihant sat beside his father, watching his weak breathing.
His mind was filled with questions.
Why did this happen?
Was this just bad luck?
Or was it something deeper?
When they finally reached the doctor, he examined Arihant's father carefully.
After a few minutes, the doctor spoke.
"He had a serious exhaustion attack," he explained. "Too much physical strain and stress."
Arihant felt a small sense of relief.
"At least he is alive," the doctor continued. "But he must rest for several weeks."
Arihant nodded.
But even as relief appeared, another realization followed.
His father had been working too hard for years.
Carrying the responsibility of the family.
And now his body was finally paying the price.
---
That evening, Arihant returned to the library.
The old man was waiting there as usual.
"You look shaken," he said calmly.
Arihant explained everything that had happened.
The old man listened silently.
When Arihant finished speaking, the old man asked a simple question.
"What did you feel when you saw your father collapse?"
"Fear," Arihant said immediately.
"Why?"
"Because I might lose him," Arihant replied.
The old man nodded slowly.
"That fear comes from attachment."
Arihant looked slightly uncomfortable.
"But loving family is natural," he said.
"Yes," the old man agreed.
"But suffering often appears when attachment meets the reality of change."
He paused before continuing.
"In Jainism, events in life are often connected to Karma—the consequences of past actions."
Arihant listened carefully.
"Does that mean my father's suffering is because of karma?" he asked.
The old man shook his head gently.
"Karma is not punishment," he explained.
"It is simply the natural law of cause and effect."
He pointed toward the window.
"Just as planting a seed eventually produces a tree, actions produce consequences."
Arihant thought about this deeply.
"So every event in life has a cause?"
"Yes," the old man said. "Some causes are visible. Others come from the past."
He continued:
"A person who wishes to become an Arihant must understand karma deeply and stop creating new chains."
"And when all karma disappears?" Arihant asked.
"Then the soul reaches Moksha and becomes a Siddha," the old man replied.
The familiar concepts now felt more real than ever.
Because Arihant had just experienced how fragile life could be.
---
That night, Arihant returned home and sat beside his father, who was resting quietly.
For the first time, he truly understood something important.
Life was unpredictable.
Health, wealth, and even relationships could change suddenly.
Everything in the world was temporary.
But perhaps the ancient teachings were pointing toward something permanent.
Something beyond fear and suffering.
Arihant looked at the night sky through the window.
And silently promised himself:
"I will understand the truth of life… no matter how long it takes."
Because deep inside, the storm of that day had only strengthened his determination.
The journey toward becoming Siddh had just faced its first real test.
And Arihant had taken another step forward.