Chapter 1 A stormy encounter

The thunder was as severe as the storm that day. The rain was splashing like a whip all around. The sound of the wind was growling in the background. Teresa was shivering as she got slowly wet. The ceiling of the underpass, where she had taken shelter was already leaking. Her clothes and the little bag of belongings were getting all wet. The temperature had dropped all of a sudden and it was cold as hell. But that's not even a proper comparison, hell is supposed to be hot. Anyway, Teresa was still holding on to her dear life under that leaking underpass, somehow.

It was over a year that the orphanage she grew up in had to close due to legal issues. It wasn't that good a place to live in, though Teresa atleast had a roof above her head. There were frequent incidents of child abuse in that orphanage. Teresa too had been involved in many of them. But she didn't complain. She didn't complain because she didn't know how else anybody lived. She didn't complain because she had no idea that what she was experiencing was actually wrong. All her life, she had been part of that abusive environment, being exploited in the name of a home. However, at the point where she was now, she would happily exchange being exploited than freezing to death.

Suddenly, her eyes caught a black and white blob, braving the storm, just a few metres away from her. She strained her eyes trying to have a good look. Then her ears caught a faint meowing sound too.

" Is that a cat? What is it doing in this rain? Weren't animals supposed to be smart about natural disasters? Why didn't that idiot hide? "She was mumbling to herself. More like she was fighting her desire to stay put or go and get the kitty. After a few more heated debate with herself, she finally stood up.

" Ahhhh! I hate you for this. " She stamped her feet at herself and went running over to the spot where the kitten was struggling . It had a paw stuck between a rod and a boulder. In fact it's paw was pressed down by the boulder itself.

" Awwww, cutie. How did you get stuck like this? "She tried picking the boulder up and then the kitten itself, " Ssshhh! It's alright. Don't worry, you will be fine in just a few days. Sshhhhh! " Teresa consoled the kitten as it yelped in pain.She braced it in her arms and ran straight back inside her den.

But as soon as she stepped inside, she was pushed out by two firm hands. Teresa looked up with difficulty . She was already fully drenched. The rain battering over her eyes made it difficult to look ahead. She held one hand up her forehead to shelter her eyes.

"Who are you? What do want? Let me get in. I'm freezing here, " She asked looking up. There were about four people, all looked homeless like her, crouched where she was. They had taken her spot when she left.

" First come, first take, " Replied a fat lady pushing her further.

" I was sitting here first. I had just gone to bring this one, " Teresa protested as she showed them the kitten. It was leeching tightly onto her but was very calm , unlike before. It too was drenching, but didn't complain.

"We do not care. We don't care at all. Let's see if you can come inside, " Another man came in the front to face Teresa this time.

But Teresa was wise. She knew very well how it would end if she stood her ground. She grabbed her bag and then turned the other way and started walking down the street. As she went, she took one last glace at the intruders and then showed them the finger before running ahead for her dear life.

She had hoped to find another shelter near by or atleast had hoped that the storm would slow down. But nothing like that happened. She kept walking and walking, until her hands and legs started to feel numb and heavy. She was about to collapse when suddenly she saw a light approaching her at an alarming speed. Unable to make out what it was, she tried moving away from its direction. But she didn't notice the oncoming bus behind her as she stepped on the main road by mistake. It was a very close call but somebody grabbed her tshirt and pulled her on the side.

"Are you crazy? If you want to die, go die by yourself. Why are you taking this one along? Bloody homeless.Bloody thief." The hands snatched the almost dead kitty from her arms and left before Teresa could even have a proper look at the face. She could only hear the noise of a motorcycle as it's engine started and took off. Before her eyes closed Teresa saw that light which earlier had startled her, tear the haze created by the rain and storm, as it went ahead. As it went, the sound too accompanied it.

" So it was a motorcycle on the footpath. Huh! You can even scold me because I have no money. Even though there was no fault of mine. You almost hit me. That caused me to almost come under that bus. And you dare to shout at me and take my kitty away?Bloody homeless huh! Yeah I'm homeless,so what? So what you moroon? Does that give you the right to call me a thief? Bloody rich brats. " Teresa yelled at no one at the top of her lungs. " Sure. Sure. In this world, you are right even when you are wrong , when you have the money. The money huh! " Teresa mumbled as her eyes no longer could carry on. Slowly her hands, legs and chest, all started to give in, one by one. The storm still raged on as if her existence didn't matter even for the nature around. She was a nobody, in fact a perfect nobody that nobody cared about. Nothing before her nothing after her. She was just a pause.