"I was not thinking of introducing myself in such a situation. But well, destiny wants it to happen in this way, so let's go ahead. Hello Pari, this is Maya." Maya says with a glimmer on her face.

"I know that and I'm really not in the mood to play your games. Please tell me what nonsense you all are doing right now. And Raj," turning her attention back to now calm and unconscious Raj, Pari continues, "enough is enough! Just get up and stop whatever prank you are playing." Pari, as usual, twists Raj's ear. But this time Raj doesn't scream, neither wince in pain. Distraught, she looks at Raj who is lying motionless.

"Raj..." A tone of nervousness replaces her frustrated one.

With shivering palm, Pari calls Shweta.

The number you are calling is currently unavailable.

"Shit! Where the hell are you Shweta?" Pari chews her lower lip and rubs her sweaty palms on her face.

From the corner of her eyes, she saw a smiling face of Maya which irks her more. Furious, she gets up and marches towards Maya.

"This is all your work, right? I knew it before. Or else why would you, the girl who never talks with anyone will be so friendly with me? What do you want from me? Why are you hurting Raj? And Shweta... Shit! She is not picking up her phone. You did something to her as well, right? Answer me! Why are so quiet now? And stop giving me that creepy smile!" Pari shouts on the top of her voice digging her nails into her palms as she stands with rigidity in front of Maya.

While Maya, still smiling, stands at her place, as cool as a cucumber. "I was hoping you will lose a few of your real natures but here, you don't seem at all like the one I know." Widening her eyes, Maya feigns her surprise which leads to a chuckle at the end.

"So now you got it right? I'm not the one you know. Now please stop these maya of yours. God! Is this some kind of fantasy land?" Pari says, frustrated while looking at the shining moon.

"Why are you calling God in between? Let him take his evening stroll. Any way he is having fun watching us." Maya says with a huff, maybe for the first time like a young teenager.

Hearing this, Pari sighs and says, "You are a nutcase. You are in an illusion! Come out of it and stop this use of technology to create a fantasy land. This is reality. All these things happen in shows and books, not in this world." Pari says pointing towards the moon
"Hmm... then what do you think about him?" Maya says pointing at Raj. She is back to her usual calm demeanour.

Pari stares at Raj, speechless. Like a flash, a scene plays in front of her eyes. Her brown eyes go still as she sees the horrific scene which she has seen a month back while sleepwalking.

Raj is hovering over a man's neck. His fangs are digging deep, as the man squirms in his sleep.

"No, don't go near. Leave her. It was my fault! Please leave my daughter." The man says, shivering in sleep.

"So you finally realized your fault? Good. I hope this nightmare remains with you." Raj says in his suppressed voice and turns his face to Pari who is standing at the door perceiving his horrific truth in her sleepwalking state.

Sighing, Raj reaches in front of her within a blink of an eye. His red eyes look into her brown ones with concern. He takes Pari in an embrace while caressing her hair.

"Sleep Pari. You will not remember anything once you sleep." He gives a peck on her crown and takes her in his arms.

"Huh!" Pari comes back to her senses as her eyes regain life.

"What? What was that?" Pari's eyes wander from Raj to Maya. It is then she notices Maya's oceanic blue eyes. Stumbling, Pari steps back.

"Your eyes... that time at class... Black... Blue... Does this mean I was not hallucinating?" Pari's voice trembles.

Maya tilts her head a bit at one side. Her eyes sparkle like an ocean in the daylight where the bright moon is getting reflected.

"Who... who are you?" Pari stands rooted to her spot.

"Pari, do you remember the dream that you saw last night?" Maya asks, while walking around Pari.

Pari's eyes follow Maya's steps as they halt beside the bright full moon which is still suspended in the air, some meters above Raj.

"Do you remember it Pari?" Maya asks again.

"I... I... Not properly. Just some hazy scenes. But... How do you know I... dreamt last night?" A horrified look overtakes Pari's already tensed face.

"For 200 decades love will forget love and can only remember, when love falls in love with hate, again. Those 200 decades are over. It's time for you to return. You have already fallen in love with hate." Maya finishes her words as her eyes linger on Raj whose index finger moves a bit.

"Aaaaa...", Pari screams out pressing her palms on her ears as if she is in severe pain. She sits on her toes with her eyes shut tight. Her palms soon fist her locks around her ears. A white dove comes, flapping her wings and sits on Maya's right shoulder.

"We have crossed the first stage." Maya says as Pari's grip on her hair loosens.

With a jolt, Pari opens her eyes and stands up. "It was you! It was your voice in my dream. You said exactly the same line just now. What games are you exactly playing?"

While speaking, Pari's eyes land on the bird. "This... It was also there, in my dream." As if the bird got happy learning that Pari has recognised it, it gets up and hovers over Pari.
Ignoring the bird, Pari asks, "Will you please tell me what's happening?" A tiredness is evident in Pari's voice.

"It's time for you to return. They need you. Your home needs you. Most importantly, this world needs you. And anyway, you can't leave with them anymore." Maya says looking at Raj whose fangs are still out while the bird sits beside Raj.

"What do you mean I can't stay with them? They are my family! They have taken care of me when I had no-one. They have loved me and given me a home when I was left all alone to survive at such a young age. And you want me to leave them just for your nonsense bullshit? I'm sorry but I can't go anywhere." Pari picks her phone from the ground to call Reyna but can't find any signal.

"And what about the scene you saw just now? About Raj?" Maya asks.

"That... That... It must be you. Or else how are you knowing all? You must have done something with me! In class also I fainted after taking a sip of water from your bottle. It's all done by you! I don't believe Raj can be a vampire! They are all in fiction, that's it!" Pari screams throwing her phone on the ground. The lifeless device lies on the ground with its face upside-down.

"Time for the second step." Mumbling this, Maya puts her ring finger on Pari's forehead. Taken by the sheer suddenness of the situation, Pari stands still. Soon, a pink halo starts emanating after which Pari closes her eyes. Within a few minutes, she starts shaking, clutching her palms into fists.

"No... No... This can't be true. They can't be... My family... They..." Tears trail down from her closed eyes. Sliding against her cheeks, the tear drops land on the dry white-tiled ground of the terrace.

The bird looks up and sees dark grey clouds gathering together one by one. The cool breeze is picking up its speed as the weather around them gives a dampening smell. The bird scurries towards the drops lying on the ground in which a faint pink layer is visible in the bright light of the moon. It looks back at Maya with a knowing look in its eyes and then again back to those drops which are now lying like some splatters of water with no sign of colour.

"No! This... I..." Pari's heart wrenching scream takes their attention away from the tear drops. She bends down placing her sweaty palms on her heart as if someone us pricking needles and steps back a bit.

Still clutching her heart, she opens her eyes and looks at Raj. She bends down and stares at his face. Tear stains still visible on her face.

"No. What am I even thinking? I saw all those after that Maya did something to my forehead. It's all her fault. My family... they can't be mosnters." Pari mumbles while still looking at Raj.

"It's all true. They are not human beings. Whatever you saw one month back, you forgot because your memory was erased by them and your sleepwalking has made it easier. That night, you actually saw Raj sucking that man's blood, inflicting him with nightmares in return while feeding on his dreams. Yes, he was drinking blood using those fangs. Maybe that man was guilty. But that's not the case always. They feed on people's depression and give them nightmares, this... is far worse than just sucking blood. Pari, they are the most hated creatures of dark." Maya stops and takes a look at Pari with concern in her soft blue eyes. Her strict voice at the beginning slowly turns softer at the end.

But Pari, still in denial, keeps nodding her bend head while pricking her palms with her nails.

"And also the incident that happened today. You clearly saw Raj's red eyes, his speed and how his uncle erased your memory. You saw it all just now. Just accept it Pari. They are not who you think they are." Maya says leaving a sigh.

"No! You are lying. There must be a reason for them hiding this from me. They must be forced to do all these. And... who are you even? How do you know all these? And why will I believe your words? You are nothing but a stranger to me! Why will I believe your words over my family who have loved me for all these years? And who gave you the right to accuse my family?" Pari's screaming voice tumbles with the thunderous echoes of the sky as howling wind passes through her dark brown hair.

"Your screaming will not change the truth." Maya's calm voice cuts through the violent atmosphere silencing the growling of the sky. With a feline-like elegance, she walks towards an agitated Pari and brings her face close to her.

"Pari, listen to me. They are the carriers of most gruesome death. They are creatures of dark night who are born to spread darkness, to spread nightmares. They are like slow poison to this world. They are born out of hatred. And you have already fallen in love with hatred, once again. So, I'm sorry but now, it's time to take a test." Maya says with a blank face.

"Test?" The moment the word leaves Pari's mouth she feels a strong windy presence passing her. In the very next moment, she finds herself on the ground with Raj, who seems to be possessed and has pinned her down on the ground.

"Hm, test. And it has started already." Maya's red lips curve into mischievous smile as she closes her oceanic blue eyes only to open them back with a soft pink glow within them.

Words in this chapter : 1955
Total no. Of words : 10267