Dhampir of Kalika

১৩.‌ the priest's daughter

Sometimes it's as easy as giving up.

****

Now that Maya knew for sure about the Das being vampires, she had to dig up their other nauseating secrets. The unfortunate women of the Das family, Khirodh and Mrinmoyee, didn't have anything good to talk about their men, and the reluctant half-member of the household, Piya, was equally bitter about the brothers. Although, she kept quiet about Mrinjay. The fact that Piya could easily trust Maya with her degrading words about the late Abhinoy and the surviving Manihar was surprising, given that she didn't speak a word against the oldest son.

"Something makes Piya feel threatened about Mrinjay. Or else she wouldn't have deliberately dodged it."

Nowadays when Maya walked around the village, people would stop to turn and look at her. She felt being watched, being studied as a unique case. Very few dared to match their gaze with her when she looked up at them, while a few men had the courage to smile. It was a faltering one, hiding a trail of cavities or broken teeth behind.

"Everyone is aware of me being the detective. I will have to be careful, because many may not want to give in details, out of fear or personal motives."

She already faced it when trying to find out about the female victims. It was strange, too strange that the Das didn't care about the vanishing innocent lives of harmless girls. They were focused on the death of their son. Some would call it deep mourning, but the first sinister death in this village was of a girl. The Das never tried contacting Maya to investigate the murders of females. Was it just their belief that women were inferior which caused them to overlook the case?

Or are they killing the girls?

The fact that the style of murder in both cases, Abhinoy and the girls, were eerily similar, convinced Maya that she wasn't that far from the end. Maybe half of the road she had traversed.

Yet, something told her it wasn't so simple. Some answers were indeed in front of her eyes, and yet the rest clouded her judgement. Simplicity or complexity, she would get to know soon.

The words of Benoy Das rang in her ears. They can kill their own.

But why?

In the distance, she saw a familiar looking human. Searching her memories, she recognised this girl being the daughter of the head priest, with whom Mrinjay was talking that day in the temple. She balanced a pot of water on her head and entered her hut. Maya followed her. After waiting for some time, she called out from outside. "Is anyone in there?"

The girl came out and opened the door. "Who are you?"

"I am Maya. Your father knows me."

Her eyes glimmered. "I see... You are the detective..."

"So you have heard about me?"

"Everyone in the village knows about you. You have spread like fire. Come in, I am glad to welcome you." Before Maya could say anything, the girl pulled her by the hand and took her towards the khatia. "Sit here. Do you want something to drink? Maybe some sattu? I can make a great one with spices and lemon."

"Ah, sure!"

All smiles and glittery in her feline eyes, the girl went to the kitchen. Maya grinned. This daughter looked feisty and zestful. The way her curls bounced and the restless chime of her anklets showed she was happy to host Maya.

"Who has come at this hour? It's late afternoon," Ramlal shouted from inside another room, probably the place where he had built a little abode for the gods in his home. "I heard you are making sattu. Give me some too. I am feeling hungry." The priest came out with incense in his hands and moved it in each corner of the house. That's when his eyes locked with Maya.