Sid, Ravi, and Raj were in a restaurant to celebrate. They ordered food according to their own choices. Raj's face was glowing like never before, confidence ran through his body, and it was detectable from every word he uttered.

Viewing over his academic performance, in tenth grade, he had obtained forty-five percent, but now he leaped to fifty-eight percent in the final year of high school exams. His result had spread disbelief and awe across the faces of Sid and Ravi too. Being an average performer in the academic field from childhood itself, Raj had flunked in a few preliminary exams. Still, a big successful leap like this brought brightness in his eyes.

According to the Indian Education System, tenth to twelfth grade is a junior college and then start college.

Sid gave curt nods at every sentence said by Raj on his improvement. Sid took a sip of water from a glass on the table in between their talk.

On the other hand, Ravi was sick of Raj's self-glorification. "What happened to Nikhil, did he pass?" he inquired about changing the topic. Nikhil was a mutual friend of Ravi and Raj.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you," Raj pressed his lips and then uttered, "he failed."

To say Ravi was not shocked would be an absolute lie; because Nikhil used to toot his own horn about how his exams were brilliant, and he will obtain A grade. That boasting always got on Ravi's nerves, and his heart used to burn in jealousy.

Sid was merely glimpsing at them, utterly disinterested in their conversation. "My mom chastised me for low grades." He tried to change the topic.

"You're not alone, bro," Ravi said. "But I'm happy, at least I'll be a college student now, or else I would have to work in my father's shop." His face turned fearful with the thought of working in his dad's shop.

Ravi happens to be born in a Rajasthani family, and they are popular in India for being frugal. Some conservative parents don't put much stress on their children's education; because ultimately, they are destined to join the family business. However, Ravi was entirely against this unsaid-yet-always-followed tradition. He just wanted to break free.

"Damn! You're such a nincompoop. Your dad is an established businessman, and your shops have an independent name in the market. Why on earth you don't whet your appetite in it?" Raj interrupted, secretly wanting to pound on his friend's head with a hammer for not taking advantage of that great opportunity.

Raj was interested in business. He didn't belong to a family who has a business background as Ravi did, that's what always made him jealous of Ravi.

Enraged, Ravi opened his mouth to answer this taunt and said, "Man! Just switch your life with mine for one month, and then do dare to repeat what you've just stated."

Raj forced a smirk on his face and said, "Whatever schmuck! I just want to be well-settled in my life. I have seen the worst financial crisis in my life."

Sid cuts in to stop them from arguing. "Guys, just imagine what an awesome life people like Eminem, Justin Bieber, Rihanna, and so on live. Fame, money, respect, and crazy fan following. Eminem is my role model; I worship him."

Being a devoted believer and also insensitive with his beliefs, agitation scurried through Raj's mind. He wasn't afraid to jump down his throat on Sid for worshiping Eminem. Sid was taken aback by this sudden repudiation because he didn't mean that he worships Eminem as God, but Raj took it as blasphemy.

Like every other youth, Sid was no exception to fancying some famous artists. At some point, however, he would agree that teenagers do treat celebrities as gods, but his case was different because he listens to Eminem's rap songs as stress-buster.

Raj limned that it was a blunder when Sid said, "I worship Eminem," and told him to worship God alone. Not any human.

"God? I don't understand a thing about God," said Sid, with a skeptical face.

"You may not, but people do. It's all about faith. Just see my example: I was a blockhead. But I passed the exams with good grades. Why? It's because I prayed it from Him," Raj stated every word firmly.

"You studied, that's why you passed," Sid said, he thought in his mind, what if Raj didn't pass the exams, would he still believe in God? But he didn't give voice to this thought, instead spoke something different.

"I'm not an atheist or theist. I don't find any relevance of God in my life."

Ravi butted in. "Hey! Hey! Now you guys are arguing." He laughed it off, to cool down the heated argument.

Meanwhile, the waiter came with the appetizer food—the hot & sour soup—and after serving them, he rushed off to bring entrees. While sipping up the soup, none of them were talking, but Raj took the initiative. "Try to grasp my example, I was a spoiled brat, and Ravi knows what an awful guy I was." Ravi and Sid grimaced. They were not reveling in God-related topics.

Ravi spoke on Raj's behalf and narrated something about his past behavior. Raj was famous for his short temper, which would blast out randomly on anyone, never caring about how much harm it may cause to the victim. Once he smashed one boy's head with a stone, not a long time ago, someone had tried to eve tease his sister. He thrashed him so hard that he had almost pierced a sharp aluminum plate into the eve teaser's chest.

"Whoa! That's terrible." Sid's eyes lit up, and a grin blended with incredulity beamed across his oval-shaped face. He got the drift about Raj's projection of positive changes in him. "I got your point very well. But I don't know what on earth God means to me."

"What do you mean? I'm not getting it." Raj's eyebrows knitted as he queried.

"For instance, we all go through certain phases of injustice in our lives. So then, a question pops up, 'why God did that to me?' And why people always have a give-and-take approach toward God? Desire and fear, these two methods put a grimace on my face whenever I think about it." Sid plucked out some tissue papers from the box while talking. He grew edgy about discussing the topic that invokes prejudices and hatred in one's heart.

Nevertheless, Raj wanted to prove his point by hook or by crook. Therefore, he decided to try out some diplomacy. In the past, Raj's family had a financial crisis. While being in a tight spot, they had been to many religious places to seek divine intervention so that they could get rid of their problems.

And they got rid of their financial crisis when they came across one particular path. In the meantime, however, Raj became quite assertive for his way to be the only route; the rest of the ways to God became bogus for him.

In the end, he concluded there is one true God, and there is a false God. His argument on getting rid of the financial crisis was making sense to Sid. Until the last sentence, emphasis on one true God and the notion of false God puzzled him. "Real God? I didn't get it." Sid asked.

Raj drummed his fingers on the table and gaped right into Sid's eyes. He parted his lips into two to utter something, but right then, a waiter came, holding a full tray of meal in his hand. He served them equally, and they started devouring the food.

While eating, no one talked or considered the pros and cons of anything. Raj went to the washroom as he ate the food. Sid quickly took the opportunity to inquire from Ravi as to why in the world did Raj get them into religions?

Ravi explained to him how Raj and his family had accepted different religious paths. Down the line, he became resentful toward other religions as bona fide. None of them had helped him in his financial crisis, except for his new faith.

In the meantime, Raj came back from the washroom and interrupted their talk, "So, let's go to the gaming zone or somewhere." Sid and Ravi nodded.

Ravi paid a significant amount of the bill, the rest of the amount Sid and Raj covered. They got into a cab and headed towards a nearby mall. The actual intention was to spend some time in the gaming zone. There they played: pool, bowling, and PlayStation games.

Although the object of the conversation had changed long ago, Raj's mind was still hovering on Sid's statement about Eminem. Gradually his religious hangover was pissing off both Ravi and Sid.

"I've come across many people like you, Sid, who are misled but don't have any guidance. I would like to invite you to meet up with my friend. He'll guide you," Raj spoke up. Three of them were having ice cream and were about to call it a day.

Sid forced a satisfied smile on his face since he didn't want to hurt Raj by blurting out "no," he articulated an excuse of his busy schedule. He was getting uncomfortable due to the constant forcing, so he decided to give voice to his anxiety. "Well... As I said, I'm not an atheist. But I'm no believer either because religion makes me uncomfortable."

"It's challenging to make you understand. But I hope my friend will guide you." Raj took it for granted that he will come.

"You shouldn't force him if he's not interested," Ravi spoke up once and for all.

"I'm not forcing anyone. I'm just differentiating between worshiping a human and God. How can Eminem be God?" Raj sparkled up that issue again.

"Man! I never said he's God. I'm not forcing you to reject your God and accept him as God." Pinching the bridge of his nose, Sid burst out with a voice that displayed his agitation over clarifying the same thing again and again.

"I'm not interested to know anything about him. I believe in God only through Jesus and no one else," Raj affirmed.

As the day came to an end, it was time to say goodbye. Ravi and Sid have been living in the same street; they bid farewell to Raj.

Raj told Sid that in the evening, he would surely come to take him to his friend for a meeting. In return, Sid nodded and let him go. Both Ravi and Sid got into a cab and headed back to their home. Turning his attention back to Ravi, Sid disclosed his agitation. "Why was he forcing me so much? Even when we were at the mall, he was, again and again, bringing up that topic."

"Oh yes, he's kinda forceful for that matter," Ravi answered in a way that he'd got habituated with Raj's behavior.

While scratching his chin, Sid asked, "What do you think about God?"

Ravi jutted out his bottom and shrugged his shoulders, "Same like your reasoning. I don't find any relevance of God in my life."

"I firmly believe that one should understand God with proper knowledge and personal wish." Sid stamped his fist on the other palm.

"Exactly. Or else, things become irrelevant for us to follow." Ravi responded with a nod.

******

A/N: For those who are not aware of its meaning. Bigotry means intolerance towards other religions. Like saying, "My religion is the only way to God. If you are not practicing my religion, then you are going to go to hell forever." I hope this chapter will help those people to rise above this feeling. Also, a suggestion for those who are aspiring to be preachers, one should be sensitive and always consider time, place, and circumstances. Remember, we are not living in God-centered civilization. Please share, vote, and comment.