Sid reached the Thirty Cross garden.
The first thing he saw was some kindergarten kids playing on a seesaw and slides. In a corner, there was an empty sandpit. Flowers and different varieties of trimmed grasses were the things you'd see all over the place. Adults were jogging on the footpath, spread across all over the garden.
The boy plumped down on a bench and shot a glance at the time on his smartphone. It was seven past ten in the evening.
A football struck on Sid's locked ankles, which helped him to disrupt his obsession on religious bigotry going in his mind. Pressing his lips together into a thin line, he clasped his hands over his head and tugged his hair in stress. He shut his eyes for a minute, and when he opened it, he saw Ravi standing in front of him, staring.
"What's up?" Ravi said as his arms crossed over his chest.
"Have a seat." Sid moved up aside and made a place for him to sit. As Ravi sat down, the latter spoke up, "How complicated all this is. Accept our terms and conditions, or go to hell for eternity."
Ravi knitted his eyebrows; he didn't understand Sid's words. Sid knew his best friend was unaware of what he'd been through just a couple of hours ago. Pinching the bridge of his nose, Sid tried to drop the topic by shaking his head. But now Ravi's heart filled with curiosity; he wanted to know the reason behind his friend being down in the dumps.
"C'mon, tell me?" Ravi slightly pushed him to grab his attention.
Now, this compelled Sid to explain the whole situation. He said that he has been to the place where Raj wanted to take him. Ravi leaned forward and put his fingertips together. "So, you're also going to hell?" he blurted out. Sid was amazed to know why he used "also."
What he meant by also, Sid asked it immediately, because this was something strange for him. Never in a million years, he thought Ravi could be aware of it. Rolling his eyes, Ravi pulled back his lips and narrated an incident about the afterlife destination of his deceased grandfather, who was very pious and religious. To his surprise, Raj and another friend Nikhil insensitively said that Ravi's grandfather is in hell, just because he doesn't accept Jesus Christ as his savior.
Ravi's mobile phone rang. It was Raj's call buzzing his cellphone.
He received the call, and Raj said on the phone that he's coming in the Thirty Cross garden along with Nikhil to meet. Ravi replied, "Alright," and aborted the call.
"Why are they coming here?" Sid asked.
"Maybe to help you get faster in hell." Ravi's white teeth became exposed as his lips parted into a grin.
In the meantime, Raj and Nikhil set foot in the garden and rushed towards Ravi and Sid. Both of them moved up since the place was enough for all of them to settle down. Raj took an initiative to talk he started by saying it's been a while they are having a get together like this.
Ravi inquired from Nikhil if he's going to apply a retest for the High School exams. But Nikhil straight away rejected. Currently, he has been working in an international call center. He further added that studies are enemies, and now his ambition is to become a drummer.
On the other hand, Ravi sharply chastised Nikhil for skipping lectures and all those recklessness he'd shown in his studies. Ravi's nose crinkled by remembering how Nikhil used to toot his own horn, lying that his exams were excellent. Ravi used to burn in envy every time Nikhil brag about that.
"Let it be now." Nikhil shrugged off his interest to study further.
Sid paid no attention to what they were saying and preferred to be busy on his cell phone.
YOU ARE READING
The Krishna Love (Wattpad India Awards Winner)
Spiritual"Let's explore the world, man. First, we should go to the Himalayas," Ravi said as he was searching best spiritual places of India on his cell phone. "We're not going anywhere," Sid said sharply, his eyes narrowed in disbelief. "Isn't that what you...
