Treat You Better

Chapter 1

Radhika walked hurriedly towards the bus stop. It was raining like cats and dogs. She just wanted to take shelter under the aluminium sheet roof of the rickety excuse of a bus station. There was a dog curled in a ball in one of the corners of the enclosure along with a few school going students huddled together discussing the answers to the exam they just gave.

Cars whizzed by her splattering droplets of muddy rain water onto her new pink salwar kameez.
Soon the bus that stops near her house arrived and she climbed into the bus relieved to be going home.

The day was supposed to mark a joyous occasion. Her 23rd Birthday. Instead she had been overlooked for a promotion at work again, her sandals had been stolen at the temple and she had forgotten her umbrella which caused her to walk home drenched in rain water. All in all, it was one hell of a wretched day for Ms. Radhika Shenoy.

It was almost nightfall, the colour of the sky was turning into a deep grey shade lined with silver wisps of clouds. The street was not bustling with people like it usually is. Because of the rains, no one had set up any of the usual fruit or flower stalls. Everyone had retired early to their homes.
Radhika noticed some men leering at her. She was aware of her drenched Kurti clinging to her like second skin. One of the men whistled at her flashing her Wolfy grin.

Her stomach lurched. A cold clammy hand clutched at her heart as she realised they were following them. She quickened her steps, when one of them grabbed her by her waist. Another grabbed the thin chiffon shawl she had draped around her shoulder to provide some protection, however minimal it offered.

A blood curdling scream escaped her throat and the man who had grabbed her shawl slapped her. A gash had taken form on her lips from the force of the slap.
She kept struggling and finally one of her captors loosened his grip and she broke free from his hold and tried to run away from them. But as her luck would have it she slipped and hit her head on a rock. Blood started oozing from the wound formed on her head. The last thing she saw were the three men grinning down at her misery as her consciousness slowly faded into darkness.