Dhampir of Kalika

৭. khatra is dying

Fear the mage of love.

****

The cold bed was like a pyre made out of ice. Over it lay Maya, her eyes open since midnight, lost in thoughts of blood and gore. She wasn't able to sleep even for a minute. Her eyelids grew heavier since dawn, but every time she tried to doze off a sudden push woke her up. She got up with a jerk. Her hair was a messy bundle and her lips as dry as a parched desert.

She chugged down a glass of water. It made her feel better. She splashed some on her face and took a deep breath. It was 7 o'clock in the morning.

She knew the two murders– that of Abhinoy Das and Kamala– were connected. There was a peculiar similarity in their style– blood being drained from the body, and the mark of fangs on the neck. The murderer must have had pity on Kamala before killing her. They didn't turn so cruel, as they were with Abhinoy.

"Was the murderer accompanied by an animal? Was that what attacked both victims on the neck?"

Perhaps a hound. But who pets a hound in this local village?

Unless under supernatural circumstances, a woman would rarely have such physical power, and the murder most probably pointed at the doings of a man. And maybe a hound or a fox.

She had to wait for more clues to come out. Till now, the odd things she saw were the smudged portrait of a woman, the gruesome style of murder and the fact that the Das family didn't want Maya to focus on the death of the girls. The smudged portrait could be a family matter, but the other two were having a common ground.

And oh! The queer marks on Ram's arms and neck... They are very familiar to the ones found on the body of Kamala. He said his previous Master had inflicted the injuries upon him...

Maya's suspicions intensified. Ram knew something and was clearly keeping it a secret.

She changed into a decent attire and went down to the kitchen. It was a random thought she had- often, she would eat raw garlic in the morning. It helped in easy digestion and also supported the immune system. Given that the food in the Das family wasn't quite tasty, and maybe someday would also not be edible, Maya jokingly thought of strengthening her guts.

She found Ram there making chai. A simmering curry was also being cooked. The whole kitchen was kind of plunged into smoke and the fragrance of spices.

Ram turned and saw Maya. He got up and walked to her. "Does memsaheb need anything?"

"Yes. Can I get some raw garlic?"

Ram stiffened. His eyes roved over Maya like she wasn't a human but a hair-raising phantom. His hoarse voice turned cranky. "Why would memsaheb need raw garlic?"

Maya raised a brow. Ram here was a servant; the very fact that he dared to snap at Maya for some garlic told something was indeed not in place. Something was very uncanny about this family.

Ram understood his mistake. He cleared his throat and hung his head. "Apologies, memsaheb, but we don't bring garlic in our house."

"You... you don't cook with garlic?" Her casual action had turned out to be fortuitous!

"No, memsaheb, it's not allowed inside the house."

The corners of her eyes crinkled, her gaze reflecting a mirage of victory. She had stumbled upon something interesting by chance. Maya nodded her head. "This is so bad. I often have garlic in the morning. It keeps people healthy. I think your Boro Babu suffers from digestive problems?"