Prof. Raman Singh removed his glasses and studied Shrey from top to bottom , as if by doing this he could read his thoughts. Shrey stood there silent. He had rehearsed the situation with Rahul. He knew that no one would believe their story, A flying entity attacking Salil who somehow had strangely started to lose blood after the incident with no visible wound on his body and was now lying in the intensive care unit of the city hospital with two units of blood being transfused into him. He has expected the warden to shout at him and maybe call him drunk but he didn't instead he sat there as if it was something that he had feared.
"Are you sure that that "thing" whatever it was actually flying?" Prof Singh said finally.
"Yes sir but we managed to drag him back." Shrey replied almost instantly, how could the warden believe him? He could hardly believe what he himself was saying.
Prof Singh thought for another moment and the gestured him to sit down. After some more thinking he picked up his cel phone and dialed a number.
A few seconds later that Shrey assumed to be the time taken by the other person to answer the phone , Singh spoke into the phone.
"Hello Achyut , beta there is a news in our hostel that might interest you. Come as fast as you can this might be urgent." Saying this he cut the phone without waiting for a reply from the other side.
Sitting there Shrey revisited the events from the previous day in his mind. How after finding salil on the rooftop they had again rushed him to emergency and how the hemoglobin level had come to near dangerous. He remembered his phone-call to Rahul explaining the details and urging him to come. How Salil was transferred to the ICU and how the doctor had told them that immediate transfusion was necessary. Things seemed to go beyond the limits of normal. Why would have Salil gone to the roof and how could he lose so much blood without any visible wound on his body were the questions that were bothering him more than anything else.
Some half an hour later a man, nearly 30 knocked on the door.
"Uncle" he said "Am I allowed?"
The warden who was sitting there reading the newspaper looked up towards the door while wearing the glasses that he had removed some half an hour ago.
"Achyut" his face lit up " come come"
The man was wearing a formal blue shirt with a black pant and looked as if he had come for a job interview.
"I was coming to visit you anyway uncle, I also have news for you." He said beaming. It was then that Shrey recognized him , it was Achyut Mehra the person who used to cover the news on campus politics for the local edition of a national daily and could sometimes be seen in departmental canteens doing photo-shoots. Why had the warden called him? Did he want to get the news of a student being attacked by a strange entity published in the paper? Swalloing this question Shrey looked back at Singh and Achyut.
"What happened uncle?" Achyut inquired.
The warden stood up and turned his back towards the visitors, as though not wanting to face them. "Well actually one of the students of our hostel is unwell." He started "Highly Anemic it seems from what the doctor's say. He was found on the hospital roof the previous night. And from what I can comprehend from what his friend, Shrey here says" he gestured towards Shrey who smiled back as Achyut gave him a smile. " is that he was attacked by a "figure" the day before yesterday and after that he suddenly became anemic. Do you think you can figure out anything?"
Achyut's smile faded into a frown and his eyes were focused on Shrey almost staring at him he said , "Shrey, Now tell me everything that has happened since he was attacked. The situation seems to be grave."
"Means are we actually dealing with something paranormal?"
"I will explain everything but first you need to tell me all that has happened then only can I comment."
"Should I call the…"
"No" Achyut cut him off in mid-sentence "we don't want anything publicized."
"Ok day before yesterday while we were preparing for our last exam…"
"So you say there is no wound of any kind on him."Achuy said after shrey had finished his narrative.
"None. Not even a puncture mark. " At this Achyut looked at him and gave a weak smile.
"Uncle," Achyut turned towards Prof Singh. I think its best that I have a look at him and inform the others. Shrey, can you come with me. I think I owe you an explanation."
"The black Innova" Achyut said as he led Shrey out of the hostel. Shrey remained silent until they had seated and then asked, "Is something like vampires involved?"
"I am afraid, yes. And not something like vampires we actually are dealing with vampires." Achyut turned on the ignition.
"Then how can we fight them?"
"Us not we."
"Means?"
"Its not your battle Shrey its upon me and my fellow anti-vampires or as you would like to call it slayers to fight them"
"How can you say that its not my job?"
"Because we are better equipped than you. " He paused for a moment and then added "By birth not by choice."
"Means?"
"I will explain later but first we must go inform the others and then I will explain to you what are we facing and how can we overcome it. For now you must understand that Salil is in grave danger and must be moved out of Malgudi today before sunset. Otherwise it can be a problem not only for him but for others as well."
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