Stairway to heaven.

Once there was a man called Vinod. He lived in his village, Haripur. He wanted to live a happy life like everyone wants. He had heard tales since his childhood that if you want something with devotion, you will certainly get it. The whole world will conspire to give it to you.

He believed in this saying, so he dreamed all day and night, doing nothing with full devotion. Praying the mighty unknown power will listen to his prayers and give him ever lasting happy life. Life where he is happy, immortal, and there is nothing to worry about. Life full of riches, life full of ample food and above all, life without struggle and labour.

Just near that village lived a black magician named Kaalmaanav, who also wanted to live a happy life. However, his idea of happiness was different; he knew that in order to achieve something of importance, you have to labour hard, be it hook or by crook. His idea of happiness included ruling the whole place which he knew of. He wanted to be the ruler of the world. He knew it was not possible that any sane mind would allow him to do so. He will face rebellion, so he concluded that he needs good puppet who are fool enough to sacrifice everything in order to achieve their materialistic desire.

It was difficult to find such people, as most villagers knew the simple truth of life: "you reap what you sow". So they were busy with day-to-day work to keep their family happy.

One fine day, Kaalmanaav came across a pond and saw a man with his eyes closed, talking to himself. A man wanted a girl in his dreams. Kaalmanaav got a hint that man is surrounded by females who love him in his fantasy land. Kaalmanaav at once knew the search for the puppet was over.

Kaalmanaav went to Vinod disguised as a saint and offered him some sweets. Vinod, a happy person, accepted it. Kaalmanaav had given Vinod a secret potion which would help him to read all the thoughts and dreams of Vinod. He left that place after giving the sweets.

Vinod was observed for one week. He realised that Vinod is a mentally weak person. He wanted everything in life without doing anything. He was not willing to make any sacrifice. Instead, he wanted to spend his life doing nothing and getting things for free .

A plan was made by him. Vinod will be offered all kinds of happiness he wants in life if he is willing to sacrifice something. It was not Vinod who had to sacrifice something. Vinod just had to sacrifice his honesty for the villagers. A simple thing which, according to Kaalmanaav Vinod will easily done. He wanted to use Vinod to slowly poison the food of all villagers so that they would become puppets of Kaalmanaav.

He approached Vinod, faking to be a female and told him that the gods in the sky are very happy with him. He just needs to sacrifice all villagers' free will in order to live an everlasting, happy life. Magician somehow convinced Vinod that in order to make the world a better place, all humans have to become puppets, as they lack compassion within. Vinod first hesitated, but he agreed, thinking that if god wants to do something, it must be good for all human beings.

The plan was to make a magic potion. Once this potion is drunk, the subject gets into an uncertain dreamland where he is happy in his fantasy land. All his fantasies are shown to be true in this fantasy land. However, in reality, that person lies unconscious.

According to the plan, Vinod informed all the villagers that he would distribute food to all the villagers with food sent by the gods. He will deliver them personally to every doorstep. Unsuspecting villagers happily accepted Vinod's offer. Vinod then made a magic potion according to the instructions of the magician. Magician observed all this; he was present in the room, faking as an insect. As soon as the potion was made, the magician appeared outside Vinod's home. Vinod welcomed a magician posing as a beautiful girl. The magician offered Vinod a prasad, which he said was sent from god. Vinod ate it. The magician had plans of distributing the food, faking as Vinod.

As soon as Vinod ate it, he slipped into a state of unconsciousness. It was the same magic potion, however, this time made by a black magician. The black magician felt happy that his plan had worked. Finally, his plans were on course. He felt happy. He relaxed for a while. He felt thirsty, so he went to the pitcher and took out some water. This pitcher was just next to another pitcher, which looked identical. The magician had drunk a magic potion by mistake, thinking it to be water. Unsuspecting, he returned to bed to take a nap. As it will be hectic work to visit each home for distributing food of god. So he closed his eyes. Slowly, he slipped into his idea of happiness.

Call it luck or the good karma of Vinod, that in the evening, one of the villagers came to his home looking for "food from gods". He was shocked to see two Vinods in the house. Both were unconscious. He at once informed the king of that place. Both were revived by an ayurvedic doctor of that village.

They had realised their mistake. You reap what you sow, and there is no shortcut to success.