The True Wish

Once there lived a small boy. He heard from his grandmother that God always hears the true prayers that are done from heart. Since the boy was quite innocent, he accepted it to be true without any doubt in his mind. The boy closed his eyes and prayed, "Oh God, I have a wish. Please fulfill my wish." Suddenly, a voice was heard within himself, "Dear child, you have remembered me without any doubt. I am happy with your prayer. What is your wish?" The boy became happy. He said to himself, "Oh God, please help me in completing my homework. Please make me extremely intelligent and help me to become topper of school." The inner voice said, "Is this the only wish you desired for?" The boy replied, "Yes, I think it will be enough for me." The inner voice blessed him and he became extremely intelligent. He also became topper of the school.

Few years passed. The boy grew a bit older and now was a college student. One day he again became sad. He again started praying to God. He again heard the inner voice, "Dear child, what happened now? I have made you intelligent. You did not only top in the school, but you are now also university topper. What else do you want?" The boy said, "All my friends have girlfriend. But I don't have any girlfriend. I feel so embarrassed when I see myself all alone, while all my friends are accompanied by their girlfriends. Please give me one beautiful girlfriend." The inner voice said, "Is that the only wish you desired for?" The boy replied, "Yes, I think it will be enough for me." The inner voice blessed him and he got the most beautiful girl as his girlfriend.

Few years passed. The boy had now graduated with a degree. He again became sad as he was jobless. He again closed his eyes and started praying, "Oh God, just one more wish!!" He again heard an inner voice, "Dear child, what do you wish now?" The boy replied, "Oh God, I want a very good job now. Please fulfill my wish." The inner voice said, "Is that the only wish you desired for?" The boy replied, "Yes, I think it will be enough for me." The inner voice blessed him and he got the job of a manager with a very good compensation.

Few years passed (Now you guessed right... another wish :P). The boy prayed, "Oh God, please do something so that our parents allow me to marry my girlfriend." The inner voice said, "Is that the only wish you desired for?" The boy replied, "Yes, I think it will be enough for me." The inner voice blessed him and he got married to his girlfriend.

Few years passed. He has now become a middle aged man. He then prayed for having child. After few years, he prayed for his child to get married. Many years passed and now he became an extremely old man. Now, there was no other worldly wish he could think of. Still, he was not feeling any peace within and the fear of death started getting all over his mind. He again closed his eyes and started praying. He again heard the same inner voice, "Dear child, what do you wish now?" The old man replied, "Oh God, you have given me so much in my life, but still I am not at peace. Please provide me inner peace and take away all my fears." The inner voice said, "I knew this was your true wish that you wanted to ask since beginning. But you never asked for the light of peace. All you asked that the world taught you. You only tried to remove various aspects of darkness of ignorance. My dear child, you should have asked me the light of inner peace in the first instance itself. In that light, you would have become capable on your own of fighting any stone that you were afraid in the darkness."