24 years ago-

The storm was raging ,with raindrops piercing down as sharp needles.

The puddles were getting displaced by heavy footsteps rushing down. As a women runs looking behind her, wary of the men following her.

" That way! Hurry up!"

She hears them say and she involuntarily tightens her grip on the little child wrapped in the blankets in her arms. Her breathing rugged and eyes teary ,yet the determination indomitable.

She just has to reach the main road ahead, and they will be safe.

They will survive this night.

Ignoring the blood running down her forehead. And that throbbing pain in her head, she doesn't let her footsteps falter.

" Stop! Or we shoot!"

She doesn't stop. And why would she. When the betrayal of a family member has broken her completely. When the greatest treasure of their empire was in her arms , wanted to be killed.

When their families own blood has betrayed.

When suddenly the sound of a bullet being fired is heard and she tries to dodge it. A sharp pain erupts in her shoulder and her grip on the child loosens to be only supported by her other arm.

" Aghhhhh"

She cries in pain. Tears falling down her eyes. But she couldn't stop. Her footsteps refusing to falter. The crowded street was just few meters ahead...she had to just reach there. Looking down ,her teary brown eyes stop on the little girl in her arms who was oblivious to everything.

Ignorant of her mother's struggle for her safety, the child was deep asleep. And the women on seeing her peaceful face found the courage to fight harder.

" Fuc*! She is escaping! Surround her!"

Adrealine gushes in her as she almost reaches the street. Turning around the corner and leaning against a wall.

Breathing heavily on seeing the crowded street.

Her senses finding relief immediately.

There were people...a lot of people here. And she thought she was safe. Looking around, she found people giving her strange looks bit she didn't cared.

Hugging her child , tightly to her chest. She kisses the child's face. Her voice quivering as the raindrops quoted her tears.

" Noth...ing will happen to you my daughter... nothing.."

" Mama is here..mama will protect you"

She looks around for any danger. To find eyes fixed at her. They were trailing her... looking at her every movement.

And her body shivered.

She has to think of something. She can't let them take her daughter.

And that's when her eyes stop at a red phone booth. At a distance.

She has to tell him.

He has to know his wife and daughters life is in danger. He has to know that the betrayer he has been searching for so long is not an outsider, but one who he trusted the most.

His own blood.

But how? She can't take her child along or they will definitely catch them both.

Think! Think!

She looks around for a safe place. And that's when she found an empty bench in a corner. With a shade on top of it. It was hidden from everyone's eyes behind drums of garbage.

She can secretly keep the child there through the aley from behind. No one will no.

Till she makes the call. The child will be safe there.

Nodding to herself. She sees a sea of people approaching and she lifts up the shawl and wraps it around her.Entering it

Using it as a distraction, she is able to sneak through to the back alley. Running towards the safe place.

She reaches the place from behind the alley. And with a heavy heart places down the child while looking around to see that no one took notice.

The child immediately starts crying ,as if feeling the loss of the touch of her mother. And the women cries as well, kissing the child's forehead.

" I will come back my daughter. I promise"

Removing the gold chain from around her neck, the women places it around the child's. Kissing it.

" I love you my daughter. Remember it"

But Alas, her promise was as fragile as her body. Her indomitable will , the only thing keeping her going.

She hears footsteps approaching and with a heavy heart. She cleans her tears, running away from her life, her daughter.

" There! There is she!"

She sees the phone booth approaching. Her vision hazy. And her arm all red with blood leaving a trail behind her.

Pretending to hold something in her hand...she keeps the empty wrapped shawl close to her.

Deceiving her followers.

Making them think, she still had something in her hands. She was just few steps away from the booth.

When a bullet pierces her leg, making her stumble forward.

Her face making contact with the rough gravel of the alley, surrounded by dumps of waste everywhere.

And her senses go numb.

The throbbing in her head worsening.

She was going to die.

She knew this then. And she couldn't help pray, her child doesn't have a fate like her.

No! I promised her! I have to reach her...

Her promise, made her turn around . Try to get up atleast when she found herself surrounded.

" Get it!"

The person orders, pulling the shawl from her arms. To only find it empty.

" The fuc*! Where is the girl bitc*!"

The person say's kicking the women. And she couldn't help smile sadly. Surrendering.

" You...you will never find her..."

Making the man to curse and kick her more.

" Answer me dammit! You think you can fool us!

The women doesn't say anything. Laying on the gravel to look up at the falling raindrops. Counting her last breaths.

While the men surrounding her look around for the child.

On not finding it anywhere. The person sighs, calling someone. To speak while looking at the girl.

" We lost the child Sir. We only have the women with us. What about her?"

And the women already knew what it will be. She knows his secret now, he won't let her stay alive.

" Kill her"

The order was clear. And that's when the person, without a second thought. Pulled the trigger.

Making the women's beautiful brown eyes to go still.

Her eyes still fixed on the raindrops. As a tear slides down her eyes.

With only one last wish to the heaven above. Her last words being.

" Please keep my daughter alive"

. . . A thunder strikes the sky and it seemed maybe God listened to her because at that very instant, he sent an angel to fulfill a mother's dying wish.

A car stops on the lights, when the shrill screams of a child were heard by Mrs Reed.

Pushing the doors open to her car, she follows the voice hurriedly.

To only stop.

A small girl of barely few days, layed there wrapped in blankets.

Her beautiful face all red with crying, tears streaming down her cheeks. With no one around.

Picking the child up, the little girl immediately stopped crying.

Mistaking her to be her mother.

And Mrs Reed couldn't help smile as she sees the little girl opening her brown eyes to look at her.

That was it.

Mrs Reed was mesmerized.

On finding no one around. She accepted and took her in.

As a gift sent by heaven.

As their Ezra.

......

" Can you close it? "

" No"

" Ezra please. It's irritating."

" For you. Not for me"

" Ezraaaa!"

" Okay fine"

She says. Literally pushing on the off button of the stereo. Leaning back on her seat.

To look out of the car , bored.

" You are so boringgggg! Who doesn't like music huh? In what world do you live? Music is art! It's passion! You know it's a proven fact that music helps remember lost memories?"

" Like isn't it fantastic? Imagine I listen to a song and remember my past birth? Won't that be so amazing! I bet I must be a princess in my last life considering how much I love those vintage gowns! '

He looks at her from his side view to only scoff.

" Or maybe a sloth"

She heard him. Stopping her blabbering to look at him.

" Excuse me? What did you just say? Sloth"

And Aaron just hmms. Taking a turn. His eyes fixed on the road.

" Yes, the most stupidest being out there. A Sloth"

" With the number of hours you sleep and how fast you process thing, you may be one Ezra"

And that's it. Clenching her fists. She turns around to give him all her attention.

" Excuse me! Sloths are not Stupid! Instead they are the most intelligent beings out there!"

" They may be slow but because of lack of movement they camouflage so well, that predators don't even detect them. Now isn't that smart?"

Aaron rolls his eyes to only continue. Looking at her.

" They also hold onto their own arms, thinking they are tree branches and fall down from the trees."

" Interesting way for a suicide. Isn't it?"

" That's a lie! They don't do that!"

" They do!"

" They do not!"

" Oh really then if they are that stupid then they must have been extinct by now?"

" How did they survive then, huh?"

" Just like you did. I bet they must have found someone to leech on. Just like you found me"

Ezra's eyes widen in disbelief. Her anger surfacing.

" Leech? "

" I bet you were a Chimpanzee yourself! So -"

" Ezraaaa! Enough! Please. I didn't ask you to switch of the stereo for you to start your own?"

" Can a man be gifted few seconds of silence here?"

She bites on her retort. Speaking something under her breath. To fold her arms and look outside.

And Aaron sighs.

Finally some peace.

The girl talks to much and he has no doubt that it can be dangerous for one's health, especially for a man like him who loved silence.

They continue to drive when suddenly Aaron pulls out his car in front of a building. The place looked deserted.

What work could he have here?

Ezra looks around in confusion, as he removed his seatbelt. Typing something on his phone.

" Umm why are we stopping here?"

He doesn't look up. Continuing to type.

" I have some work. Don't come out of the car."

" Bu-"

" No arguing Ezra. Am I understood?

" Okay"

She says. Sighing. And he nods. Getting out of the car. To go inside the building.

. . . It's been 10 minutes and Ezra was bored.

Looking outside the window. Tapping her fingers on her thighs while enjoying the music.

Smiling to herself.

Everything between her and Aaron was finally improving. She can't believe it's true.

It still feels like a dream.

His kisses, his touch.

They were so foreign yet so known. So new yet so thrilling and tempting.

She remembers their heated moment in the bath tub , this early morning. And she feels her cheeks burning.

Ezraa! You are blushing!

She says, seeing herself in the mirror. To only place her face in her hands.

Girl! Get a grip on yourself! What's happening to you.

No matter what she tried. That smile remained. Showing the glee of her heart which couldn't be hidden.

Her thoughts are interrupted when she hears shrill cries of something coming from somewhere near.

Something resembling a painful whine of a dog.

And her heart thumps in her chest.

It needed help.

People walk past it. Not paying attention. Too busy in their lives but she just couldn't let it be.

How can they ignore a dog's painful cry?

Can't they hear it?

And she couldn't stop her footsteps from moving towards it.

Getting out of the car. She approaches the road. Crossing it to to find the source to be somewhere around.

And that's when she saw a steel gutter in the corner. The spund resonating from there.

Gulping, she get's down on her knees. The shrill cries intensifying.

Switching on the torchlight of her phone, she directs it in the gutter. To only find two pair of beautiful brown eyes looking back at her.

It's a puppy.

A little puppy stuck in hole of the gutter below. It's low pitched cries making her heart to soften.

The desire to help ardent.

" Aww little puppy. Calm down. I am here to help."

Moving up her sleeves. Not caring of her clothes getting dirty.She says trying to open the gutter and moving her hands closer to it.

Sh*t!

It was too far. She couldn't reach it.

The little puppy shivered in fear. It was too small. Covered in sludge and mud. Barely looking a month old.

Where was it's mother?

Ezra looks around to find no other dogs around.

Focussing her attention back. She didn't cared of the by passers giving her those strange looks.

She had to save it.

"Wait for me puppy. I am coming. Don't be afraid. I will get you out."

Gulping. She moves aside the cover of the man hole.Laying on the pavement with her stomach on the ground. And head literally inside it.

Her hands stretched to their full capacity.

But still the puppy was few inches away from her reach.

" Come little puppy...come...come!"

She tries to urge the puppy to come closer. But if just shivered , sitting there still. Ezra realised the level of water was rising and fear strikes her heart.

Stretching more, she tries to go more further in.

Her fingers successfully touches it's hind legs. And the puppy barks more.

" Shh it's gona be fine. Just a little more"

She says. Breathing heavily. Trying a little more. And her hands successfully get hold of its leg this time.

" Yes!"

She pulls it back towards her. When all of a sudden she looses her balance and was going to fall in with the puppy held in her hands.

" Aghhhh!!"

A scream leaves her lips. And she closes her eyes. Anticipating a few broken bones and disfigured features with the fall.

But it was only followed by silence.

Am I dead?

She wonders.

And that's when she opens her eyes to literally finds herself hanging in the manhole. The gushing water inches away from her.

" Aren't you one hell of a trouble maker Stupid girl?"

She hears his voice behind. And gulps.

Damn! I am surely dead now.

" A- Aron?"

She stutters. Seeing him holding her t shirt from behind. Saving her from falling.

And he roars at her, not looking comforting for her already thumping heart.

" Didn't I ask you to stay inside?"

And she gives him that sheepish smile. Looking over her shoulder to show him the little shivering puppy in her arms.

" Look what I found?"