A smile escaped her lips. Happiness purged inside her for the first time in days. She would finally be free. 
Natasha closed her watery eyes, her heart beating erratically. She paused, standing between life and death itself. Funny, she almost felt like she could hear something besides the thundering beat of her heart. A voice. 
“D...” 
It was as small a distant echo. She arched her head behind to make sure she wasn't having hallucinations. Was she dead? The voice called out to her again, somewhat more clearer this time. A girl's voice. 
“Didi...” 
“Didi...” 
“Natasha!” 
Something about the sheer power in her sister's voice snapped her back to reality. Her gaze dropped to the ground, just like her heart. The wind changed course, the clock hands moved. Suddenly the height of the building from the ground seemed hauntingly real. Suddenly she was nauseated. 
“Didi, what happened? Why are you sitting like that?” Mitali panicked as she saw her big sister, sitting frozen on the terrace floor-- Her arms wrapped tightly around herself, her entire body trembling. She rushed to her at once, wrapping her small arms around Natasha's shivering frame. 
Warmth. That's what Natasha felt for the first time in forever, instead of lashes. Warmth that coursed through her icy body as Mitali's hands rubbed up and down Natasha's back while her head rested above hers. Life injected into her veins, even if it was as little as the flickering of a night bulb. Natasha closed her eyes against Mitali's chest, a lone tear rolling down her cheek. It was peaceful.
Maybe, just maybe, I wasn't hated by everyone in this world. 
People often boasted they weren't affected by the rumors but that was a big fucking lie. Say, if a dog kept barking on your ears, how long would you play deaf? Could you possibly ignore even if it's bark bled your eardrums? That's what happened when you got into the bad side of society. They didn't talk— they barked behind your back. 
Mitali's love saved Natasha that night and it kept her at bay as Mitali stayed by her side since then. Too bad it wasn't enough to shield Natasha from the rest of the world. The hate was too much to bear. She attempted to end her life once more, only to be interrupted. Again. She even tried to cut her wrist when she accidentally found a blade in the bathroom once. Alas, she only managed to scratch a little. Great, she couldn't even die successfully. 
* * * 
Often at the times of hopelessness, people turned their fate into the hands of God. However, Natasha decided to turn to the devil. The source of her suffering, Mr Tejas. With hurried footsteps, she furiously marched into the lion's den one more time. Consequences be damned. It's not like she had anything to lose anyway. For now, she only wanted to make him suffer. 
Not only was his wife absent but Tejas happened to be completely alone in his house. Perfect, just perfect! Although she feared the man but her subdued anger resurfaced as she saw his mughead face. She saw red. 
Before the asshat could respond, she responded by spraying a handful of sand she picked from the garden right onto his face. Tejas rubbed his eyes furiously while wailing in pain. It was music to her ears. If that wasn't enough, she balled her fists to throw a punch to his gut, making him stagger to the ground. 
“Take that, Tejas! I hope you suffer thrice as much for every second you caused pain in my life. Fuck you, fuck you, FUCK YOU!” She yelled, her eyes bulging with rage. She allowed her anger to seep through her punches, her eyes stained with angry tears. She still wasn't satisfied so she pulled his hair and slapped him hard. He gritted his teeth, seething.