A gleam of hope glinted in Raj's eyes. He stood outside Sid's house, arms across his chest. His left leg slightly bent, and back pressed against the wall to take support. A peeved expression manifested on Sid's face as he caught a glimpse of Raj. Sid came at the door of his house. "Let's go, are you ready?" Raj asked.

A sigh blended with angst ran off from Sid's nose. He nodded, and both of them headed to the place where Raj wanted to have the meeting. Anxiety and nervousness were playing tug of war in Sid's mind; he was continually trying to put his consciousness into a tranquil state.

The place they were heading was not far; it was just a few blocks away. The house was on the second floor of a five-story building.

Both of them set foot in the house and caught sight of a youth sleeping on a single bed. He seemed to be around twenty-three years old, he was dark in complexion and wore a white t-shirt and black boxer. He got up from his bed as Raj and Sid came in.

Raj did the formal introduction part and told him further how he and Sid had engaged in the discussion about God all day. Name of Raj's friend was Kumar; he originally belonged to Bangalore city but now shifted to Mumbai in search of a job. Kumar was a working man and often executed some services in the church as well: preaching and management. The first question he asked Sid was, whom does he believe?

As if ready with an answer, Sid parted his lips into two to speak. He explained everything which he had earlier told to Raj: he didn't believe in God but followed Eminem and other inspiring personalities. But of course, Kumar retorted with the same argument, how can he think in a human with so many faults?

However, Sid was firm in his opinion that he never forced anyone to accept his way of understanding things. He tried to interject confidence in all of his statements to clarify his stand so that Kumar won't misunderstand him as a blasphemer. But still, his tongue wasn't giving him the exact eloquence to speak. Nervousness wormed its way into his heart.

Kumar cuts in every Sid tried to make a point. "You must worship God. Because God sent his only begotten son for us: to die for our sins—"

Sid was getting agitated and felt a rise of anger in him; he interrupted. "That's alright! But as I said to Raj, I don't find any relevance of God into my day-to-day life."

"I must tell you to accept Jesus Christ as your only savior and save yourself from going to hell." Kumar completed his sentence.

Sid came across the fact that Kumar and Raj are trying to convert him. So he thought it would be good to get straight to the point. "What if I didn't accept Jesus as my savior?"

"I'm afraid you shall go to hell for the rest of eternity." Kumar raised both of his eyebrows and spoke remorsefully.

Awe washed over Sid as this blunt reply entered into his ears. With some apparent reasons, he wasn't encouraged by this school of thought, he further inquired, "I'm a born Hindu. But what if I have faith in any of the Hindu gods or goddesses. Then, can I go to heaven?" His eyes twinkled to get a confirmation.

"Okay, lemme ask you. After your death, you've been stopped at the gates of heaven by Lord Jesus Christ and if he asked you. Why should he take you inside paradise? What will you reply?"

The double standards of this question checkmated Sid, and as he was about to open his mouth to speak, Kumar interrupted him. "Do you know my Grandfather was a worshipper of Hindu gods? Once he got infected by a deadly disease, we all prayed all night to different gods and goddesses to get him cured. The next day he died," Kumar became sentimental as he spoke up till the death of his Grandfather. Emotions choked his voice and overwhelmed him with instant grief. However, fixating his eyes at Sid's face, he demanded an answer. "Nobody came to save him. Why nobody came, Sid?"

Sid preferred to stay quiet. He didn't think to come up with a reply—may be wondering, he will be interrupted again. Nevertheless, he tried to speak up but got interrupted by Kumar. "Do you know about Jesus Christ?"

"Yes, I do," Sid mumbled.

"Jesus said, he's the way, the truth, the life, no one comes to God, except through him. That's why Jesus is the only way to heaven."

"I'm puzzled right now," Sid said with a boiling temper. In the back of his mind, he presumed Kumar don't consider other religions as bona fide. It was contradicting the belief system in which he had grown up. Hindus don't believe in "only way theory."

Sid gave voice to his perplexity, "I don't know how to elucidate it. Look, you have a parent. You remember them from your childhood. But all of a sudden, if anyone says parents are not your real mother and father, then how you will deal with it?"

"Well, let me make it very clear. Many false religions are lies of the devil or Satan. Your religion is one of them. I'm sorry to say this," Kumar blurted out.

In a snap, Kumar explained how Jesus got crucified and how he died for our sins. And those who accept him as the only savior, he may not perish but have everlasting life. Sid thought it's wise just to listen. Somehow or the other, he just wanted to get away from that place. But he felt caught up, "So, those who don't accept Jesus Christ as the only savior, go to hell for eternity?"

Sid received a nod as a reply from Kumar. Being down in the dumps, he let out a sigh; he just can't make heads or tails of what Kumar was saying: false God and false religions.

"You're a very nice person, but now your mind is influenced by Satan and false God." With a bright smile on his face, Kumar continued.

Sid spoke in a raised voice, "I don't smoke, I don't drink, never had any illicit affairs, then why am I going to hell?" Kumar and Raj didn't expect this question. They look at each other since Sid got a logical point this time. "So, this is confusing me more. I'm in hell for the rest of eternity! Even after not indulging myself in sinful activities?"

Kumar rubbed his face and wiped off the sweat from his forehead. "That's the point I'm trying to put in. In that case, I'm worried about you."

The latter emitted a long pant and said, "Sorry to say. But I don't agree with you. First, I'll study all the religions of the world vigorously. Then, let's see what outcome incurs."

"Don't waste your time on that. If other (no mentioning names) religions are true, then why their followers are becoming terrorists? If your religion is true, then why there is casteism? If other religions are true, then why did they kill Jesus, who had come to save them?" These statements revealed Kumar's bigotry. His voice held a different degree of emotions: anger and resentment.

Sid interrupted and forced him to stop. "I have to study first; then I can conclude anything. I don't want to be judgmental towards anyone."

"Sid," Raj butted in, "I hope now you've comprehended the truth."

"I think I gotta go now," Sid mumbled and stormed out.

Raj tried to stop him, but he didn't listen. Sid rushed out of the house and plugged in his earphones and started listening to random songs. Moroseness crawled all over his face as his mind uninterruptedly mulling over the things Kumar said to him. Several thoughts were running through his head. Why is he going to hell? It was like whimsically condemning a person as a criminal, even if he hadn't committed any crime.

He wasn't disturbed by the idea of going to hell, but the attitude of Kumar. Of course, he didn't feel like blaming Jesus Christ for this but Kumar's bigotry. If God truly loves everyone, then why His love is limited to only a particular group of people?

Sid plumped down himself on a bus stop to ease off his mind. But his mind hated to take rest, he thought about an analogy: if a student proclaims his college to be the only way for knowledge, and says other colleges are fraud would it make any sense? That's how ridiculous Kumar's attitude was, and Sid was yearning to understand why Kumar thinks like that or rather what made him like that? But he ferrets out no satisfactory answer.

Sid shook his head and stretched his body in exhaustion. He heard the noise of little puppies hitting his ears from somewhere. Sid stood up and tried to search for the source of that sound. He spotted a corner covered with fences.

He went closer and caught a glimpse of those puppies: they were total five and grown enough to run. Maybe that's why someone has protected them with the fences. Sid felt compelled to feed them with something. 

What could they eat? He thought. Okay, I may bring some biscuits. With that thought, he started rushing towards the nearest grocery shop.

The halfway, he halted and pondered. Biscuits may not be right for them: what to do? Milk must be costly, and I don't have enough money with me right now.

He came into a grocery shop and started seeking for another substitution of milk in the refrigerator. He took out two buttermilk pouches—each cost ten rupees—and swiftly went to those little puppies. As he reached there, he got confused about how he will feed those puppies buttermilk with that pouch? But then, he noticed a bowl aside from the fences. He poured down one full buttermilk pouch into that bowl, and all five puppies quickly gathered to gulp it down.

Sid felt contented to see this, and he unsealed another buttermilk pouch for himself. But as he could take a sip of it, a hungry old beggar came to ask for money from nowhere. The homeless's voice was not audible, or maybe he was speaking in his native dialect. Sid thought for a second and offered his buttermilk pouch to him. The homeless grabbed it quickly and started gulping it down.

Sid flashed a smile at him. In return, the homeless turned to him, and with some gestural movement of his hand, blessed Sid. Feeling pity for himself but still contented, Sid plugged in his earphones and continued proceeding towards the third cross garden.

******

A/N: Hello, lovely readers. I know this chapter must be provocative. But as my blurb goes, "From confusion to the solution." So how come there's a need for the solution. Unless there is no confusion? Please share your thoughts on this chapter.