"Hating life won't do much good to you,

After all,
Whatever happens to you is the result of your own Karma.

If you would have done your homework,
You won't be scared in the class.

If you would have learned from your mistakes,
You won't despise your life. "

---

Srishti took a deep breath and left the Library with a gloomy face. Her mind had become a gypsy, it won't settle at one place. One minute she was thinking about the assignments, next the universe and ultimately the men by the lake.

She was scared to the bones and after listening to their conversation last night, she was more afraid.

They are coming after me.
Her mind kept repeating and she had nothing to console it.

THEY ARE DEFINITELY COMING AFTER ME.

Lost in thought, the only thing that connected her to her senses was the feeling of cold breeze against her skin. It reminded her that it indeed was not a nightmare.

She was lost in the dark abyss with no sense of direction and no streak of light to guide her....

"Hey? " someone nudged her and she stopped. Her head was still hung low and she saw staring at the stranger's black shoes.

"Is she deaf? " the voice wondered and the shoes came closer. Srishti was about to lift her chin and that stranger flicked her.

"Ouch... " she brought her hand to massage her forehead and saw a smirking Akshat. She frowned and turned back to change her course.

"Are you really so dumb or what ? " Akshat said and chuckled that made Srishti turn her heels and face him. She shot him daggers and then, his shoulders started to shake.

"Dumbo..." he spoke slowly as if it was meant only for him. He then calmed himself down and pointed to the corners where the speakers were placed.

"Those poor souls are shouting for fifteen minutes now. Can you please spare some mercy to them and join others in the auditorium? " Akshat said softly as if he was talking to a toddler.

Srishti looked at the black boxes hanging high and then at Akshat. Surely, they were announcing everyone to gather in the auditorium. She sighed and shrugged, before following Akshat.

"What is it this time?" she asked and he shrugged.

"I don't know. It was a sudden call. Come, let's see. "

Srishti nodded and brought her hands up to slap herself mildly. With both her hands still on her cheeks, she pouted.

"I hope they are not hosting some stupid athletic meets. "

***

When Srishti and Akshat entered the auditorium, it was pitch black with some dim lights on the stage with their Principal on it.

"It has already started... " Akshat said and shot her a glare. She just shrugged and looked around to find a seat.

Seats are full...

She bit her lower lip and forced her eyes to search better. She curled her hands and used them as binoculars when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned and saw Akshat giving her a sheepish smile.

"What? " she whisper-snapped and he scratched his neck.

"It's dark so... No one will see us together. "

She raised her eyebrows and he pointed her to two empty seats in the left corner. "We can sit together. "

Srishti grunted. "If you don't want anyone to see you with me, then go ahead. Sit there. I'll search a seat on my own, there should be some empty seats in the middle... "

"Students in the back, will you please listen? I'm trying to tell you something important and all you want is to talk... BE QUIET. " The Principal's voice boomed and everyone turned to see the victims.

Akshat quickly ducked and pulled Srishti with him.

"No one can see us... " Srishti said with a straight face but Akshat's reply made her silent and she followed him on four limbs to the two empty seats on left corner.

"It's better to be safe than sorry. "

***

The whole time Srishti was silent and Akshat was worried about his friends seeing him with a girl.

Srishti observed him carefully, the way he touched his watch every five seconds, ruffled his hair every three seconds and bit his lips every three minutes. It didn't make any sense to her being so paranoid about him but she couldn't help herself.

He could be one of them.

With his tall height, athletic body and a black belt or something in martial arts that Srishti couldn't bother about, it would be no shock if he decided to join a gang.

The Principal's voice was muffled in the background and Srishti's whole focus was concentrated on the boy beside her.

A tattoo, a scar, a limp? Something, something... She needed to confirm her theories.

She was lost in a thought when something pulled her attention back to the misery of loud black speakers, like how the genies used to call their preys.

"...the god's energy. It is so powerful yet undefined. " Father Joseph said, who was now on the stage. His white clothes were reflecting the light so beautifully, that he looked like an angel.

"Science likes to believe in reasons. Every day, we go through our lives, we think it is happening because of our deeds.

I'm not saying that the theory of Karma is wrong, but there is something superior than our human reach and control.

Everyone does mistakes, but doing a particular mistake at a particular time, is something godly.

You can always break your leg, but having a fracture before an athletic meet is something, isn't it?

Fate is not being able to turn impossible to possible. It is a matter of time, when something within your reach happens at a particular moment.

You can always miss a train, but missing the one that derailed later that night... What is it?

Science? God?

Just like the humans have revolutionised the technology, they need to redefine the idea of God too.

God is capable of doing wonders, and looking after himself. He doesn't need monuments to reside in or animal sacrifices to empower him. He just needs your faith in Him and asks you to keep Him in your conscience, that you are not the ultimate beings.

There is, and will always be someone superior to you.

Be it aliens, or GOD. "

Father Joseph took a pause and looked at the students with a smile. A hand shot up and he gestured to proceed.

A boy with blonde hair was given a mic and he asked, "If God is so powerful, then why do accidents happen at first place? Shouldn't he protect His children? "

Father Joseph smiled and shook his head. "Everything is His plan my child. He controls who lives and who dies, and accidents are mere medium of Fate executing its plans. "

The boy with blonde hair said, "Okay..." and sat. Father Joseph nodded, knowing that the boy couldn't grasp the weight of his words.

Srishti looked at him and narrowed her eyes. Fate...

She was about to raise her hand when Akshat beat her to it, stealing words from her mouth.

"If you are saying everything is governed by God... And Fate, then why work hard? We should just rest and let Fate play its game. "

Father Joseph's smile widened and he tilted his head forward. "Nice question. It is true that Fate controls everything and we are its mere pawns, but it is also true that it controls our feelings too. Why you want to eat dosa all of a sudden when you don't even like it? Fate will make us work, it will make us rest. It is the voice of your conscience, listen to it and prosper... And deny it, and be led to the gloom.

God has chosen a path for you, now how you walk on it is in your own hands."

"But you said Fate makes us work?" Akshat asked and Srishti noticed a fire in his eyes. There was something personal about this 'Fate' topic that was itching him.

"Fate makes you work, but doesn't decide how well you do it. It will make you walk on a path, continue your journey but it is upto you to walk, run or crawl. "

Akshat looked at Father Joseph for a few seconds and nodded. He sat on his seat and chuckled humourlessly. "Fate... Blame it all on her. That's what you priests are good at. "

Srishti gulped as he cracked his knuckles and shifted farther away from him as much as her seat allowed. Then another voice boomed through the speakers and Srishti stretched her neck to see Alia asking a question.

"Are you here to make us afraid of God? "

Father Joseph stopped and took a deep breath. Suddenly, his tone changed and his next words seemed more of a warning than mere preaching.

And it seemed he was looking straight into Srishti's eyes. The hair on her neck stood up and she held her breath.

"I'm not here today to scare you or force you to believe in God. Just like God made everything, He made the idea of atheists too. He just wants His children to be happy and use their knowledge. Be it to their glory or doom.

He is simply sitting above, looking down upon us, taking care of His children.

And for that, he gives us Guardian Angels, who look after us.

How many times have you felt something that science can't explain but you know... you feel it? What is gut feeling? How do you miss a bullet just by an inch?

We all have Guardian Angel that God himself assigned to us, they look after us and see that we are living a life that was destined by our Fate long before we are even born. "

Alia was never the one to bow. Instead of thanking him or just sitting, she taunted him. "What if... someone don't have a Guardian Angel? "

Father Joseph's tone grew darker and this time, Srishti was sure he was looking at her in the eyes. She wanted to look away from that penetrating gaze but she couldn't.

"If there would be a soul so pure that it would overshadow the light of every Guardian Angel, then for that child, God Himself would come to protect that soul. "

***

"What was the point of Father's speech? " Srishti wondered.

Srishti and Eva were walking back to their homes together. Since they were living in the same neighborhood, a little company won't be harmful.

The sun was shining high in the sky and the girls held umbrella to protect themselves from its scorching heat. Eva was looking at her arms, scared that she might get tan.

"You didn't listen Principal's boring speech, did you? " Srishti shrugged and Eva held the umbrella with both hands, adjusting it to face Srishti. "He said students have become atheist now, studying science has made us blind to God's power and we should know and fear God... Blah blah... Hey, did you know Father Joseph had studied cosmology and have some research degrees to his name? "

This caught Srishti's attention and she shook her head. Eva shrugged and they started walking again. "Some girls were talking about it. They didn't mention which degree he has or whatever, they were just making fun of him, that he should go and read Bible, why trouble with Hawking and Sagan? "

"That's so rude." Srishti said and Eva simply nodded before going to check her arms again.

-------
A/N-

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