‘Nandaaaaaa’

Shreya woke up from her sleep sweating and panting. She was chilled to her spine. Shreya looked around to find only darkness. Suddenly the lights in the room came on.

Jess: What is it Shreya? Are you alright?

Misthi: Guys, I have early morning 5.30 shift. Please let me sleep. Stop screaming.

Richa: I just closed my eyes. Shreya, what the hell. Don’t scream in your sleep like this all the time.

Kajal and Meher turned and tossed in their beds but didn’t say anything. Everyone tried to go back sleep except for Shreya and Jess. Shreya felt as though her throat was dry. So, she got up from her bunker bed and climbed the steps down and walked towards the table to drink water. Jess followed her. Jess spoke in a very low voice.

Jess: Is it the same dream again?

Shreya: Yes, it’s been happening since the last few weeks. I don’t know why. Someone is calling my name and is crying. The same voice, the same pain. I don’t know why it is making me so sad.

Shreya had tears in her eyes.

Jess: It will be alright. Go back to sleep.

Shreya: No, I am going to study. It’s 4 already. I have to research for a project. I got to get gold for this one. When did you come? I was worried about you.

Jess: An hour back.

Jess lowered her head. She couldn’t look Shreya in her eyes.

Shreya: Go and rest. Everything will be fine. Just three more years and we will have proper jobs and a better place to stay.

Jess smiled weakly.

Jess: Yes, everything will be fine.

******

Evelyn ran through the shadows. She tried her best to make the least noise. Greitens can’t see clearly but they can hear very well. She couldn’t stay at one place nor could she run fast enough. Greitens had taken over the dark alleys of Noertron City. They were grey skinned creatures of the night that crawled like lizards but were very fast. They came at night and fed on anything that they found. Humans, animals and even her kind. They are unable to survive in daylight and only surfaced only at night.

Evelyn wanted to find their lair, but she was sensed by them even before reaching anywhere near their origin. Evelyn ran, and she could hear them coming after her. They jumped from the walls of one building to another. Evelyn tried to use her powers on them, but she couldn’t stay at one place to take a good aim. The dark alleys were the worst places of the city which were visited only by a few. Mainly the homeless, the drug dealers and werewolves went there. Evelyn’s heartbeats became faster. She thought it was all over. At that moment, his car came and stood in front of her and the door was opened. She got in and the car took off in maximum speed leaving the Greteins at a distance.

Evelyn: I am sorry. I am so sorry. I underestimated them.

Evelyn was shaking all over.

Alex: I had asked you to do one thing and you couldn’t. The board will see you soon, Evelyn.

Evelyn: You mean our dad will see me soon.

Evelyn gulped. She knew that she had messed up badly.

******

Kytus: How many times do I have to tell you Evelyn? Why would you want to die?

Evelyn: I just wanted to find their lair, dad. they were becoming a menace and if humans come to know about them, we will all be in trouble.

Kytus: We will be in trouble if we fight them as well. Everyone will know about it Evelyn, about our existence. That is a threat to our kind. I know that you are powerful Evelyn, but this is not your battle. You can’t handle all of them alone.

Evelyn: So, what should we do? Greitens are not the only problem we have got. Werewolves, Kolpes, Hesheins, Shinyuns. It’s hell out there. Some are teaming up and others are fighting each other. How long will we stay out of all these? We are the most powerful beings alive and we need to check them.

Kytus: He has awoken.

Evelyn: Who?

Kytus: Our lord.

Evelyn: Adityavardhan.

Kytus: I can feel the power in my veins.

Evelyn: That is why the Greitens have grown stronger.

Kytus: Everyone who feeds the dark power has grown stronger. But he can’t get out of the grave on his own. He has been asleep for more than a 200 year. He would need blood to regain his strength. I want you to go and wake him up and offer him your blood.

Alex: Wait what? No, she is not going to do that. What if he drains her. She will be dead.

Kytus: She is the strongest of Qirdans alive and she has to do it. If she dies, I will believe that the sacrifice didn’t go in vain. Now leave.

Evelyn: But dad.

Kytus: I said leave.

Evelyn walked out of the room and Alex followed her.

*******

The castle was old and creepy and away from the city. It was dark all around and the moon hid behind the clouds. The place chilled Evelyn’s spine. It seemed as though the entire place was screaming in heart wrenching pain. Her head hurt for unknown reasons. She could feel a pull towards the stone building which was more than a 400-year-old. She walked inside. Alex stayed close to her. There were spider webs everywhere. Evelyn slowly opened the door to the castle and she heard bats inside it. She looked around to find old wall paintings and sculptures. Everything looked incomplete and she didn’t know why. She climbed the steps down to the underground room and opened the door to it. The hall was oval and had only a single stone grave. She walked towards it and pushed the slab and opened it.

Alex used magic to create small stars in thin air inside the room that glowed in blue and purple. Evelyn looked in to the grave and moved one of the stars near to it’s opening. Then she saw him, Adityavardhan. Their overlord, the personification of their dark powers. He was breathing, but asleep. He had his eyes closed and he appeared light blue in color. Evelyn took a small knife from her pocket and made a cut on her hand. She let the blood flow from the cut and she moved her hand towards his mouth. The blood fell in to it. Slowly, she could see a change in his body color. Suddenly, Aditya caught her hand and started sucking the blood hard and Evelyn was shocked.

Alex ran towards her to pull her hand away. As soon as Alex touched Aditya, he opened his eyes and hit Alex hard on his face and he fell six feet away. Aditya got up from the grave without leaving Evelyn’s hand and opened his eyes and looked her straight in her eyes. He had dark red pupils. Evelyn was scared and trembling, but she knew that she had to stop him before he drained her blood. Evelyn closed her eyes and summoned the dark forces and then she opened them, and they were glowing red in color. She held his hands and tried to separate it from hers, but he was too powerful, and she thought that she would die. At that moment, Aditya let go of her hand. Evelyn fell to the floor weak and trembling. Alex was unconscious. Aditya stepped out of the grave and stood on the floor looking around. He spoke without turning back.

Aditya: Evelyn, you will be fine. Take me to your father.

Aditya walked out of the room and Evelyn laid there shocked and confused.

*****

Aditya sat inside the car in silence. He had no idea what it was or how it was moving. Before getting inside, he checked if there was any animal around that pulled it. Then he realized that there was nothing. 200 years had changed a lot. He had a habit of going to sleep for years and coming back again. But this time, he woke up after hearing her voice. She had called for him. She was back, and she needed him. Aditya felt a strange sensation and he didn’t know what it was. He had lost the power to recognize his feelings, emotions and even tears and sadness felt like something that he had known only in another life.

*******

Shreya: We are late, bish. We are terribly late, and we are gonna miss the first period. All for your 50 nort lipstick. Like who cares if it’s missing.

Jess: I do. That’s the only shade I have. We are gonna make it. We just have to peddle faster.

Shreya: I am already failing my semester because of my negative marks for not turning in to the class in time.

Jess: You are one of the top students, Shreya. You can miss one.

Shreya: I am one of the top students. Not the top, Jess. I can’t afford even a single mistake and I am losing my scholarship and then I won’t be able to write the exam. That means I am over.

Shreya started biting her fingernails. Jess hit her on her palms.

Jess: Stop doing that, Shreya. We have talked about it. You don’t want bloody fingers and that will look terrible when you show your project.

Shreya: Yeah, I remember.

Shreya was trembling when she got on her bicycle. She peddled to her college. Fuel was very expensive in the city and electric cars were unaffordable for common people. Either you walk, or you ride a bicycle. And none in their hostel could afford a car so most walked or peddled to school or workplace.

Shreya waited at the traffic signal. It was a four-way junction with two ways in all roads. So, there was always a traffic jam. Shreya had a huge temptation to bite her fingers again. She didn’t know why she was getting anxious. The world felt like twirling around and suddenly she felt something odd, something she couldn’t explain. Nanda’s heartbeats became calm and her eyes started tearing up. Tears kept on falling from them uncontrollably and she started crying. Everything became still for a moment.

Jess: What the hell, Shreya? Why are you crying? We still have got time. Shreya.

Jess hit Shreya on her hand and she got out of the trance. She became aware of the surroundings and suddenly the traffic light became blue and they started peddling. Tears were falling from her eyes and she couldn’t stop herself from feeling a great loss which she couldn’t comprehend.

Aditya ran in between the vehicles. He was fast, but he couldn’t find her. He ran madly from one car to the other and then to the buses. She was nowhere to be found. He wanted to scream and break everything, but he kept calm. People couldn’t see him because of his speed but he couldn’t run anymore. The sun was hurting him a lot. He came back to the car and got inside. He started panting hard. He had to feed. Evelyn’s blood was not enough. He had to drink more. He looked at Alex who looked back with terrified eyes. Aditya closed his eyes and acted as though nothing had happened.

******

Shreya handed over her project. The design was her best. She knew that she was going to get a gold for it. Shreya smiled to herself.

Proff: Shreya, the Principal wants to see you.

Shreya got up and walked towards the office. She was tensed again. Shreya walked inside.

Princ: Sit down, Shreya.

Shreya sat down.

Princ: It’s your second year right.

Shreya: Yes Sir. I have three more years left.

Princ: Why did you lie to me, Shreya?

Shreya: Lie. I didn’t lie to you, Sir.

Princ: You did. You said that your financial background is bad. That is why we allotted you for the scholarship program.

Shreya: My financial background is bad. I am doing a part time job to meet my expenses. I work from 4 to 10 at a boutique. I stitch clothes.

Princ: I know that. But why did you say that your parents couldn’t afford the fee money? Your father met me today and he said that he is ready to pay your fee and you don’t need the scholarship. He showed me his business card. You are rich, Shreya.

Shreya was trembling.

Shreya: He is rich Sir. I am not. I don’t live there anymore.

Princ: In order to get the scholarship, you need the approval of your parents. You submitted your mother’s signature and your dad told that your mother is mentally ill. He literally cried saying that you are rebelling and have left home because your mother is unwell. This is a bad behavior, Shreya.

Shreya: You don’t understand. I really need the scholarship. I worked my ass off to get it. Please.

Princ: That scholarship is for the needy, Shreya. I am sorry. I can’t give it to you. Your dad will pay your fee. He has agreed to do so. Go back to your home.

Shreya couldn’t speak anymore. Her father had found her. She trembled all over and tears fell from her eyes. She walked out of the office and moved towards the lawn and sat there. She remembered her home, her mother, her late sister and her father. She started biting her finger tips. Blood started coming out from the wounds. She couldn’t stop crying. It was over. Everything was over.

Suddenly, she felt someone’s touch on her shoulder. Shreya jumped in fear. It was Jess.

Shreya: He has found me, Jess. It’s over. He wants me to give in and die like my sister too. He won’t let me live. I don’t want to die, Jess. Please help me. I don’t want to end it like my sister. I can’t go back to that hell. I don’t want him to see me. Please.

Jess couldn’t say a word. There was only three days left to pay the fee and they had no options left. Jess took out her mobile phone and looked at the numbers of her clients. How would she ask her friend to do what she was doing? Shreya had suffered all her life to avoid it. Jess felt suffocated. Tears fell from her eyes. She couldn’t believe that it was really coming to a dead end.

********

Shreya: I can’t do it, Jess. I just can’t. For the last four years, I have been running away from it and now I can’t give in.

Jess: Do you have a choice? It’s fucking 50,000 norts. Do you know how many hours you need to work for that? A year. You have to pay the fee in three days, Shreya.

Shreya: But how can I sleep with someone for money. It feels wrong.

Jess felt hurt. A lone tear escaped her eye.

Shreya: I am so sorry Jess. I didn’t mean to say that you are wrong. I know about your situation.

Jess: What do you know, Shreya? I have been taking care of my family and my studies since the last one year after my dad’s death. No one knows where the money is coming from. No one cares. But I am happy that my family is surviving no matter how hard it’s for me. They are worth it.

Jess wiped her tears and held Shreya by her shoulders.

Jess: If you won’t pay the fee in two days, you will be kicked out of college and you are going to be kicked out from the hostel too. The only reason you are accommodated there is because you are a student and got the college letter. Or else they would ask for your guardian’s permission. You know that you can’t afford another place in this city right. I don’t want you to go back to your dad. I don’t want you to get raped by that devil who killed my best friend.

Jess started crying.

Shreya: I have no way out right. He wants me to die.

Shreya cried hard. Her whole body trembled, and her throat went dry. She had worked and studied so hard that she won’t end up like her sister. She still could remember her sister’s body hanging from the ceiling. Her mother losing her mind slowly. Now everything seemed over. She felt tired and empty. The moon seemed blank and the night, grey.

*******

Aditya: I need to feed, and I hope that you don’t want your people to be killed, Kytus. So, I need to know where I can get people who carry magical powers with them. I can’t feed on humans anymore. It’s not enough for sustaining my strength.

Kytus was trembling in Aditya’s presence. He had no words to speak.

Aditya: I want an answer Kytus. Where do I get blood?

Kytus: There is a club. Heshiens and Kolps come there to feed, even werewolves.

Aditya: They won’t tomorrow. The Vampire is going to feed on them.