Dhampir of Kalika

২২. the preparation for the ultimate night

The servant follows the Master.

****

Small ragged gasps escaped Kalikacharan's mouth. The hand of Mrinjay was grasping at his throat, leaving him without air. He clawed at his son's fingers and used the last bit of strength to scream for help.

"You know you won't die like this. You are a vampire after all." Mrinjay watched with wry amusement the pale skin of his father turning bluish. Kalikacharan's face took on a sickening colour. His lungs ached and eyes bulged out. Finally, Mrinjay let go of him. "You are not going to die so easily, Baba. You will have to suffer."

Kalikacharan fell on the bed and coughed. Blood splattered on his hands as he struggled to breathe. The marks of nails were drawn on his neck. "You are doing it wrong."

Mrinjay slapped his father. Kalikacharan's spectacles flew to the floor, the glass cracking like his ego.

"Mrinjay, I am your Baba," Kalikacharan reminded in vain. "Remember that."

"Neither could you be the Baba of Raktim nor me." Hot tears streamed down Mrinjay's pallid cheeks. He fumed, ears red in raw wrath. "Let me tell you what you did- you gave up Raktim because he became our curse and the living reminder of your failure. You kept him away half out of despise and half out of care, never committing to one feeling. You threw him away like a rug and then pitied him. You declared him a bastard in a second and then sacrificed your whole family to protect that petty worthless life!"

"Mrinjay, please understand-"

"I am not finished, Baba," Mrinjay hissed. "As of us, you never truly loved me and Manihar. Maybe you had a soft corner for Abhinoy as he resembled your Maa, but that's it. You used us, moulded us as you desired. You yearned to see us walk as demons just to ensure that the damage caused by your love affair didn't make us weak. But it was never out of love. You were selfish. You wanted to be known as a true vampire who was monstrous enough to kill his own wife." Mrinjay banged his fist on the table. "You only loved Raktim. You knew all along that it was him who was killing your legitimate sons, and yet you allowed him to. You spared your accursed child and spat on the ones who, for you, killed their own mother."

"I wanted to live!" Kalikacharan protested. "You know women don't have any value in our culture. Why are you so sad because of your mother? She was here to give me sons and rear them. She did her duty and left."

"Well, if that's the case, why did you fast upon the death of Binodini? She was a mere human, Baba. She was way below us."

Kalikacharan whipped his head side to side. "Stop it! You don't understand love. You never loved."

"I loved my mother."

"Then why did you behead her? Just because I asked you to?"

"I wouldn't have been living if I didn't do it. I was spared by Raktabeej because I carried out the sacrifice."

"Well, absolutely!" Kalikacharan scoffed. "You did it to survive. I have also done things to survive."

"I have suffered long after that night, Baba. I have turned into a heartless being since. Now, it won't hurt me to hurt you." Mrinjay growled under his breath. "The death of mother is the price I paid in advance to kill you, Baba."

"You will regret it."

"You know you are going to die now, Baba. You killed my mother and brothers just because of that rascal Raktim."

"I will gladly die," Kalikacharan declared tartly. Sweat gleamed on his forehead. His heart beats raced against time. "I did nothing wrong. Nothing."

"Then by killing Raktim, I will also be committing no sin. Instead, I will give my brothers justice."