Dhampir of Kalika

১৫. a good-for-nothing

Love is the most complicated emotion.

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When Maya came back to the Das mansion in the morning, she was welcomed with cold stares. None of the men dared to question her where she was, however they expressed their indignation through their measured words and calculative sighs.

Upon returning back, Maya found the whole mansion to be immersed in the last rituals of the late Abhinoy Das. The Das were all wearing black tunics with red embroidery and grey dhotis, contrary to the ways of a normal Bengali shraddha, where one was supposed to wear white. No one was invited. In the garden, a place had been cleaned and all the grass uprooted. There, inside a circle drawn with salt, sat a lone Mrinjay, with what seemed to be a bowl full of blood with half-burnt rose petals floating over it. He was chanting in an unknown language from a book.

Maya had had a heavy breakfast of bread, two boiled eggs, potato curry and papad at Raktim's house and the sight of blood gave her the urge to puke. The smell of blood was ignorable at first, yet as time passed by Maya grew even more familiar to it, and the sense of it being truly blood grew stronger. She wished she had stayed back at Raktim's house. Even though Maya was convinced they had more similarities than initially lucid, at least that doctor was less weird than the Das men.

Kalikacharan noticed Maya staring with narrowed slits at the bowl of ichor, and he came and stood beside her. The thudding of his cane broke Maya's focus. "Yes, that's blood that you see. And now when you know who we are, it should not be a shock. Don't ask though how we get our supply of blood; I can assure you it's done in the same ethical way as all other vampires around the world do. You aren't interested in knowing our rulebook, are you?"

"Not really. I suppose I am not close enough to get such a precious glimpse of your lives. And yet I am here, witnessing this event that will remain as an epochal discovery." She smiled at him sympathetically. "Must not be a day you wished to see."

"It's unfathomable, this feeling of losing one's son before losing oneself. It's a shame upon a father. Sometimes I wonder why the maniac didn't kill me instead of my son."

"Maybe the maniac wanted Abhinoy and not you."

"What did he have to offer which I didn't? I have sinned too great to be killed. To be honest, I am to be blamed for everything."

"You think so?"

"Sometimes I do, yes. I guess I am softened by the draughts of this emotional day, so I shall open up." He sat on the grassy ground and Maya followed suit. "We as vampires have many secrets to keep. It was why I never wanted you to know who we are in reality. But it was foolish of me."

"Knowing who you are actually makes the case more intense, because it's not easy to kill one. You all are almost immortal. But I guess that almost part got too far. Being aware of your truth will help me get to the murderer faster."

"I get it now, Maya. I think I should have told you earlier who we were. That would have made things simpler. But I had doubts in my mind– if you would even take up the case after that, or if I was risking too much."

"Are there secrets still unknown to me?"

Kalikacharan's fancy smile felt more like a trick of the light. "I would suggest you do not venture there. Find the murderer of my son, hand them to me, and leave with your fees. I shall praise you in our vampire circle and promise to help you whenever you need me."

"Sounds like a deal, but what if I want more, because this is a golden opportunity."

"What do you want?"