Almost two and a half decades passed by.

"It's getting cold," a girl said as she closed the windows of her room. She dreamily sat on the windowsill, leaning her head on the edge of the window. The moon shone brighter, but its coldness made her shiver. The moon seemed lonely, so was she. After her best friend Sejal's death, her life had become more tasteless. 

She rubbed her forearm and sat next to the room heater, hoping it would help to increase her temperature. She had been putting off her work for sometime now, as she had not recovered from the unexpected death of Sejal yet. 

She could not figure out how Sejal died. Her friend was a charming, talkative, and chirpy girl who decided to live life in her own terms. Things had not been normal already, and now, they had turned worse for her. 

She was working in a clinic nearby, and had rented a house nearby. 

The moment she had turned eighteen, she had stepped out of the confines of the orphanage that had been her home for as long as she could remember. The harsh words and disdainful glances of her warden had followed her like a shadow, a constant, bitter reminder of her unfortunate circumstances. The woman in charge of the institution had been particularly cruel, branding her with the stinging label of an 'ILLEGITIMATE CHILD.' Each utterance of the term was like a sharp dagger, plunging deep into her heart, leaving behind an enduring pain.Yet, she bore it all with a quiet stoicism, choosing to wipe away the bitter memories that had largely been marred by hardship and humiliation. She had learned early on that the past, however painful, could not be allowed to dictate her future. She refused to let the negativity seep into her soul and taint her dreams.As soon as she had received the acceptance letter from a prestigious medical college, she had seized the opportunity to escape. The letter represented more than just an admission into an institution; it symbolized a chance to redefine her life, to break free from the chains of her past, and to carve out a new identity for herself.She had packed her meager belongings, a poignant collection of her life's journey, and had left the orphanage without a backward glance. She was ready to embark on a new chapter of her life, one that held the promise of hope, hard work, and ultimately, triumph over the adversities that had once threatened to consume her spirit.

Her college life went on well, but a bunch of rich spoilt brats never failed to torture her. But she had the ability to tackle everything. Time had taught her a good lesson.

She moved out of her college hostel after she successfully completed her graduation. She chose to move into a house in Mussoorie, a beautiful hill station. The landlady, though hesitant of letting her in at first, later agreed as she offered to give her 50% more of the rent. 

"Till when will you stay single huh?..." The landlady often mocked at her for being alone. She had always wanted elders to choose her bridegroom and get married in with the blessings of elders, but every time she dreamed of  how her partner would be, a sudden lightening of realization stroke her that she was an orphan.

"You've to impress guys girl!...look at the girl next door , Natasha...She's very beautiful and look...there's always a line of boys waiting for her" the landlady mocked at her. She just chuckled telling herself that Natasha did not have enough money to get proper clothes. Natasha managed to wear hot dress and lure guys to attract them. In her point of view, she was the hottest girl in town. 

"Hey you Riddhima...you middle class trash, come, pick my shoes up..." she ordered once when she had newly arrived in the neighborhood. Riddhima stuck her high heeled shoes to the ground with a strong gum, such that the boss-lady slipped and landed directly on the ground. To add more humor to it, the crows above pooped on her head. The boys around laughed at Natasha, especially with the intention of revenge as she had dumped them, but to her ignorance.

Riddhima wiped a lone tear that escaped her eyes and came back to the present. She realized it was 4.a.m and that she had not slept the whole night. Rubbing her eyes, she cuddled to a pillow and drifted off to sleep.