The Battle Inside Us

- Ami Goswami

I t was a warm, sunny afternoon in the village of Sundarvan. Birds chirped, trees swayed, and in the cozy courtyard of their home, three grandchildren sat wide-eyed around their Dadaji.

Dadaji, with his gentle smile and snowy white beard, sipped his tea while Prachi, Parth, and little Swara had just returned from school.

"Dadaji," Prachi asked curiously, "our teacher talked about angels and evils today. Do they really exist?"

Parth jumped in, "Yeah! Do they fly around like superheroes?"

Dadaji chuckled and placed his cup down.

"They do exist, my sweet children-but not like that. They live inside us."

"Inside us?!" Swara gasped. "Do I have wings in my tummy?"

Everyone laughed. Dadaji pulled them closer.

"Not wings, Swara. But inside every person, a quiet war goes on-between a Good Angel and a Bad Evil."

The children leaned in.

"Let me tell you a story," Dadaji began.

***

A long time ago, in a village not unlike Sundarvan, lived a cheerful boy named Deep. He was kind, curious, and always ready to help.

But one day, Deep began hearing two tiny voices in his mind.

One voice was gentle.

"Be kind, Deep. Think before you act. Do what's right, even if it's hard."

That was the Good Angel.

The other voice was loud and tempting.

"Take shortcuts. Lie. Break the rules. Do whatever you want!"

That was the Bad Evil.

One morning, Deep forgot to do his homework. On the way to school, the Bad Evil whispered,

"Just copy from your friend. No one will know."

But the Good Angel said,

"Tell the teacher the truth. Apologize and promise to do better."

Deep sighed. Copying was easier-but he chose honesty.

The teacher was surprised but smiled.

"Thank you for telling the truth, Deep. I know you'll improve."

That night, Deep felt light and happy, like a tiny star had lit up in his heart.

"But Dadaji," Parth interrupted, "what if he had listened to the Bad Evil?"

"Good question," Dadaji smiled. "Let's find out."

Another day, Deep found some money near the school gate. The Bad Evil hissed,

"Quick! Take it! Buy sweets!"

The Good Angel said,

"Return it to the teacher. It might belong to someone who needs it."

Deep was tempted-but remembered how good he felt when he did the right thing. So he returned the money.

Later, a little girl came looking for it. Her eyes lit up when she got it back.

"You're a hero, Deep," she said.

Deep smiled. That tiny star in his heart glowed brighter.

"You see," Dadaji said, "the Good Angel shows us a bright path. It's not always easy, but it leads to peace, pride, and happiness. The Bad Evil offers quick, tempting paths-but they lead to trouble."

Swara raised her hand.

"What happens if someone always listens to the Bad Evil?"

Dadaji grew serious.

"Then the evil voice gets stronger. But it's never too late. If we start listening to the Good Angel again, we can always change."

Prachi whispered, "Does God know what we choose?"

Dadaji smiled.

"Yes, my dear. God always helps those who choose good-even when it's hard."

The children sat quietly, imagining tiny angels whispering inside them.

"So… when I stop myself from shouting at my sister, that's my Good Angel?" Parth asked.

"Exactly," Dadaji said. "And the more you listen to that voice, the stronger it becomes."

Swara touched her chest.

"Then I want my angel to be the strongest!"

They all laughed, and Dadaji hugged them close.

"We all have both voices inside us," he said.

"But it's up to you whom you listen to. The angel may speak softly-but it always leads to a shining path."

From that day on, the children listened closely to the whispers inside them.

And whenever they were unsure, they'd run to Dadaji-

who'd smile and remind them:

"The angel and evil both live within. But God walks with the angel."