A story...

Once upon a time there was a village....there lived a poor woman with her husband...
they had no children....the couple had appealed to every God on the earth.. and were thoroughly disappointed with themselves and their life in general....

One day the woman, depressed as usual, decided to end her life for good...and without telling her husband where she is going set out from the home....crying and cursing the God on her way....

she met an old man on the road...who was sitting outside the temple...after completing his daily rituals of 'worship' in the temple.....he was keenly watching her...he asked her

''why are you so upset with God....you know...cursing him for all the things gone wrong is not the right way''

The woman, already in a state of depression started crying even more....

''Don't talk to me about goodness of God...I don't believe him now...I am one poor woman...
and all we wanted was a child to complete us...but even after our sincere prayers all these years...he has never looked after our requests...Whats the use of prayers and things...I have been doing that for years now....I have enough of it now...I have decided to end my life....''

The old man became sad...and tried to comfort the woman...

''No my child...that certainly can not be true....Surely God always listens to wishes of those who are his regular servants...please don't be disheartened....I will pray for you now...I am a devoted servant of God...and I have been worshiping him daily for years now...I am sure if I asked something from him...he will not say no......I will pray for you...''.

The woman was skeptical at first...but still decided to give it a try..

''ok...if you say so.....whats the harm If I wait for some days more..''.

Feeling somewhat hopeful...the woman waited outside the temple..

The old man entered the temple again and went straight back to God....and sure God appeared in front of him after a while...

''...my son, what is it that you want this time?''

''My lord...I met a woman outside the temple just now...she is very poor and she has no children...why didn't you answer her wish even after all these years? Please do a favor to her...''

''No my son....that is not possible..please tell her that I can not grant her this wish''

''But why my lord...surely you can do it...I have been your faithful devotee for long....please
don't disappoint me...I have given her my word''....

''No son...some things are destined and those can not be changed....to remain 'child-less' is her destiny...and destiny once written is not changed...please go back and tell her I am sorry''

The old man was disappointed and felt cheated.....dejected, he went outside...and conveyed the message of God to that woman....

''I am sorry...I asked God but God said you are not destined to have child...stop thinking and worrying about it...''.

The woman, with last ray of hope gone, crestfallen....is even more exasperated...and dejected...

''See...even God had declined me...now there is no other way...I will end my life....If God has said that you will not have children...there's no point even hoping for the miracle...''.

She again started walking .....on her way she met a beggar just next to the temple...he stopped her and asked for money...already disappointed...without thinking...she handed over all the money she had with her....

The beggar is surprised to say the least...and asked her...

''Who are you? and why are you crying?''

Listening to her story....the beggar said...

''I will also pray for you...please do not get discouraged..''....

The beggar with his repeated assurances managed to convince her for the time being...
and she went back home again...shelving her plans to end her life''....

After a few days....the woman indeed found out that she who was supposedly 'not destined to have a child' was expecting her first child...she was dumbfounded and exhilarated....thanking her stars...she set out immediately to find the beggar and express her gratitude....but even after searching at every possible location...the beggar was not to be seen anywhere....

On her way back...she met the same old man again.....he was dumbstruck to see the 'dejected suicidal' lady smiling all over again....and after hearing the news...he was even more astonished and could not believe his ears...

Once the woman disappeared from his sight...he started thinking about miracle....and ran towards God... feeling somewhat angry and anxious.....

"My lord...you had said...that woman was not destined to have a child...then how come she is expecting one now?'...

God smiles...and says...oh yes...i wasn't planning to grant her wish either....but yesterday a beggar came to me and asked for a favor....so I granted his wish...and changed the destiny of that woman...''

The old man is annoyed...

''My lord...this is so unfair....I have worshiped you for years together....I have visited your temple every day..and I have been your faithful and devoted servant all these years....but when I asked for the same favor...you declined it...and now this beggar...who I have never seen enter the temple....who has never worshiped you and who just sits outside and asks money from others...you chose to grant his wish...you chose him over me?...Is there no reward for my service to you all these years''

'God smiles ....

''ok..son...forget about it now....I might have erred there...but there's something I want you do for me...a favor? Can you do it for me? As you are my faithful and devoted servant...I am sure you will not disappoint me...''

Old man is somewhat excited now....

''yes..my lord...anything...anything for you...just tell me''

''...I wish to eat human flesh...even a chunk of it will do...can you arrange it for me if it is not too difficult?''...

''What? Human flesh''...

''Yes...son...why is it not possible?''

''No...no my lord...of course I can arrange...give me some time...I will not disappoint you....''

Out comes the old man wondering about the ways of God and his strange and unusual request.....and off he goes in search of human flesh...

He wandered here and there for many days...searching for human flesh......asking people all around....some drove him away...some labelled him crazy...some beat him...some outcast him from the community....but even after months he could not arrange for human flesh for God....

Dejected, disappointed and disgusted with himself...he comes back to temple....and meets the beggar outside the temple....

The beggar asks him...''why are you so sad?''.......

The old man was very much annoyed to see that beggar...but told him about God's strange request.....and his inability to fulfill it....

The beggar w/o thinking much cuts off some flesh from his hand and handed over the same to the old man...

''Take this to God...'m sure God will be very happy''....

Old man was in the high spirits again...and went back to God....
He was delighted with himself...that he, the faithful servant of God had indeed
fulfilled God's demand albeit a strange one...

''My lord...here is human flesh for you my lord....It took me some days...
but I have managed to arrange it....now do you consider me your best servant?''

God smiles yet again....knowingly....

''Where were you all these days...why did you take so many days...?''

''My lord...you had requested for something very difficult....I have tried my best
and finally managed to find a chunk of meat for you....after all to convince a human being
to give his flesh is not a mean task....''....

''Why my son...don't you consider yourself 'human'?''

The old man, realizing the futility of his efforts was ashamed....and was at loss of words....