“It seems like the India-Pakistan war has begun. What is the impact of this on my portfolio? Do I need to do something? A friend told me ‘Buy gold… Buy silver,” said Megha, visibly tense, to Chitra—her financial coach.

It was 8:30 AM today morning when this message popped up on Chitra’s phone.

Chitra called Megha back immediately.

Not because she had an urgent market strategy to share.

But because she knew the real need at that moment was something deeper—clarity, calm, and confidence.

Chitra listened quietly. Then she responded, slowly and intentionally

“Megha, I hear you. And I want to begin by saying this—you don’t need to do anything right now. We’ve already planned for this.”

Megha was confused.

“But the news… everyone’s talking about it… gold is spiking… my friend says silver is the only safe bet…”

Chitra smiled gently. “Megha, let’s step back for a moment. Let’s look at history. 

Let’s look at data. And let’s look at your strategy and plan.”

And that’s when the real conversation began.

Because what Megha was experiencing wasn’t about the stock market.

It was about fear.

It was about uncertainty.

And it was about the human tendency to react before reflecting.

But here’s the thing:

Uncertainty is not new.

Geopolitical tensions are not new.

In fact, the India-Pakistan relationship has been volatile for decades. And yet, we’re still here. The stock market is still here.

The NIFTY has grown. Companies have grown. Wealth has grown.

Markets have gone through wars, terror attacks, global recessions, oil price shocks, and currency collapses. And still, the long-term trajectory has been up.

Let’s look at some numbers.

India’s Geopolitical Risk (GPR) Index—a tool that quantifies market sensitivity to conflict—has shown that during past India-Pakistan tensions, the index rises by an average of 0.2%.

And when this happens?

The NIFTY typically corrects 3–4%. Sometimes within 10 days of the event. And recovers in about a month.

That’s it.

Not a 40% crash.

Not a prolonged bear market.

Just a short-term wobble.

In the four India-Pakistan conflicts since 2000, the median correction in NIFTY has been 4% (I am not remotely suggesting that this pattern is likely to follow).

And recovery? Just about a month.

Why?

Because markets are forward-looking.

Because markets price in uncertainty very quickly.

And because wars—unless nuclear or global in scale—rarely impact long-term fundamentals of businesses.

Corporate earnings. Economic growth. Demographics. Consumption patterns.

These are the real levers of market performance.

Not the headlines.

Not the noise.

Not the panic.

Chitra walked Megha through all of this.

But even more importantly, she reminded her of the plan.

“You have 8 months of expenses in liquid funds.”

“Your son’s education corpus is already earmarked.”

“Your retirement strategy assumes multiple drawdowns along the way—including sharp corrections.”

“We’ve stress-tested your portfolio.”

“We’ve planned for events like this.”

And that’s when something shifted in Megha.

Because she realized this wasn’t a crisis.

It was a test.

A test of her temperament.

A test of her trust.

A test of her ability to stay grounded when the world around her was shaking.

You see, markets don’t require us to predict.

They require us to prepare.

And preparation is not done in the moment.

It is done in advance.

That’s what true planning is.

It’s not about reacting to every twist and turn.

It’s about creating a portfolio and a strategy that can withstand the twists and turns.

Chitra explained it beautifully.

“When we built your financial strategy, Megha, we assumed markets would correct. We assumed events like this would happen. We even accounted for them in our asset allocation, in our liquidity cushion, and in our rebalancing strategy.”

“And right now, we are doing exactly what we planned to do—nothing. Yes, we might buy if the market corrects. Don’t you love a sale?”

Megha smiled.

Because doing nothing is often the hardest thing to do.

But it is also the most powerful.

Especially when that “nothing” is actually the result of thoughtful, deliberate planning.

Megha’s friend, on the other hand, was reacting.

He was switching out of equity.

He was moving into gold.

Not because he had a plan.

But because he was in panic.

But here’s the irony.

By the time most people react to geopolitical headlines, the market has already adjusted.

It’s too late to protect.

And it’s too early to benefit.

This is why reacting to news is a losing game.

The market doesn’t wait for us to process information.

It moves ahead.

It discounts events.

It adjusts risk premiums.

And it moves on.

But investors?

They often stay stuck.

In fear.

In anxiety.

In the urge to do something—anything.

But as Warren Buffett once said:

“The stock market is a device for transferring money from the impatient to the patient.”

So, what should you do during a crisis like this?

Look at your plan.

Look at your liquidity.

Look at your asset allocation.

If it still serves your goals—do nothing.

If you have spare liquidity—maybe even add to your equity allocation when the fear is highest.

But don’t switch because of a WhatsApp forward.

Don’t chase gold because it’s spiking today.

Don’t assume headlines = action.

Most importantly—remember what you’re investing for.

Your goals.

Your family.

Your freedom.

Those things don’t change because two countries have a standoff.

Those things don’t disappear because the market corrects.

Those things are why you invested in the first place.

And those are the things your financial strategy and plan is built to protect.

So, breathe.

Pause.

Don’t react.

This moment—like many before it—will pass.

And what will remain is the discipline you maintained, the strategy you stayed true to, and the wealth you built patiently, quietly, and deliberately.

Just like Megha.