Are you a pariah??

I never outwardly portray my religious sentiments may be because I have led myself to fall into troubles like making the entire school "HATE" me. Yeah that is right.Read on to know how.

I went to a missionary school and I strongly believe that reason why I have certain principles in my life is mostly because of the environment I grew in and my school played the biggest part in it. Well, when I was grade X we had a priest come over to our school and tried to explain to us the greatness of the religion he dedicated his life to. So far so good, I didn't see it coming but he started talking about how believing in his Prophet is the only way to salvation and subsequently visualize The Almighty. Well, while discussion went on for quite sometime. Anyone who knows me right now well, knows me for my sometimes arrogant self( give me some credit for accepting it), and slightly over confident nature 11 years after that incident. We are talking about a time when the word "slightly" in my slightly over confident nature can be replaced "extremely". So there I was standing in front of some 100 odd students and 15 teachers , school Principal trying to argue out the guy on why he thinks so. I didn't realise then what a bold step it was that cost me quite a lot.
I even went forward to tell him what I believed in and how I thought that will help me reach the Almighty much to the dismay of many people watching me. Well, what can I say I am what I am.

9 years later, there was this guy I used to work with, staunch believer. I never involved myself into discussions after that not so nice incident I heard this guy talking to few other people and was kinda giving a sense of daring me in. Well, as expected I got into a "religious" argument. Not defaming one mind you: just a defending one. While I talking vehemently, I felt a pat on my back, it was my boss. His facial expression suggested me to zip it up. So I did.

Not very long after that, when I was buried in my own world of programing defects running from cubicle to cubicle just to fight off the list of tickets(this is how people notify you and keep track of any defects in the application) opened on my name. I had to stop by a certain desk, when I let person work on the what I wanted to be checked, my eyes wandered onto a little poster that was pinned on the cubicle.Which goes something like below

It showed two devils in hell watching a funny looking guy smiling and whistling in the midst of the fire and brimstone. One devil says, "You know, we’re just not reaching that guy."

I am quite dumb at analysing few things may be because I think too fast or think about many things at one time. What ever the reason ; as always I failed to get the meaning. So, the person asks; ain't it funny
Me: Well.. didn't quite understand what it means.
Person: It means some people who are not influenced by anything etc..
As I was trying to comprehend the meaning of the cartoon, there it was thrown at me which hit me harder than a blot stone. "Actually its trying make fun of pariahs". Person :"Are you a pariah";
Me: "ya right hell no"
Person: "Are you a Jew"
Me : No
Person: "Are you a Muslim"
Me: No
Person: "are you a Christian"
Me: No. I was getting really irritated by the stream of questions being thrown a me. I could sense me bursting out anytime.
Person: "Well, then you are pariah"

Whhaaaaaaaaaaaaaat .. what the hell did you say. My face clearly showed that anger that was bursting inside me. Wanted to hurl some books at him and tell "Dude our faith existed even before yours was even forming".
Me: "Well I don't think I am. And I don't think I need to get into that discussion with you"

I had material and mettle to talk back and show him his ignorance. But for some reason partly because of my past experiences or maybe because I was completely disturbed by his words, I chose to just walk away. Few days after that I walked by the persons desk and didn't see that cartoon pinned on the cube anymore. I don't know what made the person remove it; was it my anguish or was it because the person did some research or was it because the person didn't want to get into conflicts with a co worker. I don't know.