Hell in Heaven

Once, there lived a merchant who was dishonest to his core in his profession. He would adulterate every single of his products.

He would adulterate butter with starch, milk with water and many such things.

He exploited the innocence of the villagers to the fullest extent and became very rich.

He never even told his family about his activities. No one wondered on how he became rich in a short span of time and he stayed scot-free even after committing all these malpractices.

As owned the only shop in the village, the people always bought his goods and he enjoyed a lot of profit.

Apart from this, the merchant was also a great devotee of Jesus Christ. He used to pray everyday and would never miss a gathering and was hence known as a pious man in the village.

He died peacefully in his sleep and was respected by his villagers until his last breath. He reached heaven and was summoned in front of his beloved Jesus Christ.

Jesus said that his record showed that he had devoted about some four hundred thousand hours of his entire life for worshipping him.

The merchant said that he was a great devotee. Jesus was pleased with his devotion and offered him a place to stay in heaven.

The merchant reached the house that was allotted to him. The house was elegant with furniture and had everything he desired. He admired the beauty of the house.

As he sat down on a chair, he felt a sharp sting. He woke up with a startle and saw that there were scorpions on the chair. He felt hunger pangs in his stomach. He sat down to dine.

The moment he ate some food, he spat it out. The food was mixed with dried neem leaves. He drank some water but felt a lot of pain as the water had leeches. He went to sleep but here too he could not rest. The bed grew nails and the walls began to compress him.

The merchant could not take it anymore. He approached Jesus and complained about the house. He said that Jesus had cheated his greatest devotee. Jesus answered that his prayers can only give him a place in heaven but the qualities of the place was determined by his actions when he was alive.

The merchant begged for forgiveness. Jesus smiled and gave him another chance. He was born once again on the earth. Though he did not remember about his past life, he knew that he had to do lot of good. After his death, he gained a peaceful place in heaven.