It was a morning , shrouded in fog. The sun streaked through the fog-laced clouds, dimly illuminating the day. On the top of a tree that stood contiguous to a hyacinth-choked pond , somnolent birds shook the mist off their velvety feathers. A dog barked drowsily in the distance, which led other neighbouring dogs to follow suit, precipitating a chorus , resonating incrementally in the air for some time and then, died down .

Pacing up and down the balcony, Akash was having his morning tea when the incessant chit-chats of people below caught his attention.He opened the glass-channelled shutter of the balcony and peeped down inquisitively. Fog thwarted his vision.Still he gazed through the thick fog down : a couple of fishermen wrapped in shawl, heads covered in monkey-caps, huddled together on the narrow lane, encircling over a kitten which lay wizened and virtually senseless from the piercing cold.
He skittered down the flight of stairs and joined the curious faces on the lane . He slunk into the huddle and sat on his haunches , scanning the motionless kitten scrupulously and intently . The kitten lay frozen with its head buried beneath its furry breast , hardly breathing as he placed one of his fingers before its moist nose .

The curious onlookers lingered around the little creature for a while and then , went away , trembling in the pricking cold , smoking bidis , coughing incessantly as one of them hummed a rustic song .

Left alone , Akash thought hard as he rose to his feet . He scurried back into his house ---- and scoured hither and yon inside for something to catch hold of the kitten , to avoid direct...