God, give me the power. Granted!

 It was an unusual dream.

I had been doing an intense penance for several years, and was on the verge of making god appear in front of me, and blessing me with a boon.

Even before I started, I had planned well on what I would ask god. Do you remember the Midas touch? I am not greedy like that and don’t want to be foolish either. So, I am sure I won’t ask anything of that sort. I know anything that is beyond god’s wish will also be granted, but taken away cruelly. I wanted my wish to be simple. I thought health, wealth and family were very important and decided to ask them. I prepared a list of things to ask in each category and memorised them.

I know I should be very clear about whatever I ask, as we all know god plays a lot of tricks as far as boons are concerned. Or rather, god is too smart to outsmart us with whatever we ask. The story of Hiranyakashipu is the best example of it. He got a boon that he shouldn’t be killed during the day or night, by human or animal, using weapons or tools, inside or outside the house, at the sky or on earth. Vishnnu took Narashima avatar and killed him, meeting all the conditions of the boon.

Alas, when god appeared, I lost all of my words and shouted merely, “God, give me the power.” “Granted,“ and the god disappeared.

I was clueless as I found nothing. I felt deceived. Even if he wanted to cheat me, he could have given me something and taken it in whatever way he wanted. Perhaps I should wait for some time.

Several years passed before that day, the day when I was walking down the street and saw god in front of me, yeah, no penance, nothing. Just a casual moment. I was instantly furious and without even a hello, I asked, “you said, ‘Granted’  but you didn’t give me any power.” God answered, ‘You didn’t ask me anything specific, and so I have been giving you friends’ and he disappeared. I understood. He kept his promise. He has been giving friends of the right kind at the right time all along, that has given me the power, the power of all sorts.
 
I woke up from the dream. Even in reality, God has given me friends. I thanked God for the friends he has given so far and recalled the end card of the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life”,  “Remember, no man is a failure who has friends.”  That is true.