A car arrived at a secluded roadside at late night. Arvind opened the door and stepped off the car carrying a golf stick. He opened the trunk of his car. Niharika lay inside the trunk. Her mouth was wrapped with a duct tape. Her hand were tied with a rope at her back and so her legs. She was mumbling continuously, pleading to free herself. He pulled her hair and drag her outside. She fell on the ground. He grabbed her arms and pulled her away from the car and made her to sit on her knees. He tightened his grip on the golf stick. He took the stance in order to hit her.
"Now, you won't be able to open your mouth ever."
He was about to hit her when he heard a thud noise behind him. He stopped. Niharika got scared after seeing what was there. Her eyes got bigger in fear. Her voice grew louder. Arvind turned around. He was astonished to see what was there.
"What the hell is this?"
Sameer walked through the atrium of Ace Corporation Bank where he used to work as Relationship Manager. He was carrying five boxes each containing half kg of laddoos. He kept the box on each and every counter of his colleagues. They congratulated for his marriage.
"Congratulations Sameer."
"Congratulats bro."
He kept the fourth box on the counter where Neha was sitting at the desk.
She said, "Congratulations Sameer sir."
"Thank you Neha. When your date is going to get fixed?"
"Soon. Uh, actually BM sir wanted to have a word with you."
"Oh, I was going to his chamber to give him the box."
Jitesh, the branch manager sat at his desk. Sameer pushed the door open.
"Sir, may I come in?"
Jitesh nodded. Sameer came in. He extended his hand towards him to give him the box.
"Sir, for you."
Jitesh took the box and kept it inside the drawer.
He said, "Sit."
"Thank you sir."
He pulled the chair and sat before him.
Jitesh said, "So, what's the plan ahead?"
"Ah, Raavi and I are planning to shift to a new flat. I have seen a 3BHK in Vindya Nagar."
"I am not talking about your personal plans, Sameer. I am not interested what you and your wife are planning. I am not interested in knowing where you and wife are going, where you are going to honeymoon, you are going to have kids or not."
"I didn't understand sir."
"I am talking about your pending work which I had assigned you last month."
"Sir, I had informed you before going on leave that I had delegated my work to Gaurav and Anubhav."
"And both of them left just within a week after you went on leave."
"So what I can do sir? Is it my fault?"
"Well, it may not be your fault but getting the job done is your responsibility now."
Jitesh kept his palm on a heap of files.
He said, "These files have the complaints registered by our clients who are facing issues while using our newly launched banking application. You will have to call them one by one and resolve their complaints. And then you need to update me about the same by Monday."
"Monday? Sir, today is Friday. How will I be able to make it by Monday?"
"Saturday and Sunday."
"Sorry sir?"
"You are coming to office tomorrow and day after tomorrow to finish this."
"I can't. I have planned a trip with my wife for tomorrow."
Jitesh stood up.
"I don't care. Do you understand? All I care is about getting the job done (thumping on the table). I don't want to hear any excuse from you now. You are coming tomorrow."
Jitesh left the chamber. A helpless Sameer remained seated on the chair, gritting his teeth in anger.
Arvind's body lay on a bed inside the morgue. The body under his neck was covered with a white cover. Inspector Saloni came near to the bed. The diener removed the cover from the body. Arvind's body was marred by deep scratch marks. Doctor Ayush Bhansali came to her.
She said, "Too many scratches."
Doctor Ayush said, "It doesn't look like a human attack. Such deep scratches can only be caused by a wild animal, like a wolf or a leapord."
"A wild animal, in the city?"
"Well, we found a woman beside the corpse. She is in hospital right now. She can tell you something about what she saw, though she seemed mildly shaken."
Niharika sat on the hospital bed. Bandages were wrapped around her forehead and her left upper arm. The nurse opened the door for Saloni. Saloni walked in. Niharika looked at her.
"Niharika, right?"
Niharika nodded.
"Are you alright? Can I talk to you?"
Nodded. Saloni pulled a stool and sat by the bed. She placed her palm over Niharika's hand.
"I know what you are going through, Niharika. Whatever happened last night must be bothering you, I can understand. But you have to co-operate with us if you really want to know the truth."
"Yeah, you can ask."
Saloni sighed.
"Huh, okay. What did you see last night? What was it?"
"I...I have no idea it was. Something strange. I never saw that thing in my whole life."
"Was it an animal?"
Niharika shook her head.
"I don't know. It had red eyes. It had long teeth. It just killed him with its claws."
"Claws?"
"They were scary."
"Was it a four legged animal?"
"No, it looked a human. A scary human who can walk on two legs."
"What happened then?"
"I don't know. I have no idea what happened next. I just fainted."
Saloni hummed and nodded.
Sameer sat his desk with a file opened. He talked to clients, answering them and explaining how to use the banking app on the phone. It was around seven at evening when his colleagues were leaving the branch one by one. Neha came to his desk.
"Won't you leave now?"
"Well, I have got a lot of work to do. I have to finish it by Monday a anyhow."
"You need not to stress about the work sir. Bhabhi ji must be waiting for you."
"I know but I have got no choice."
Jitesh came out of his chamber. He looked at Neha who was talking to Sameer.
He called, "Neha."
She turned to him.
"Yes sir."
"You are coming with me."
"O..okay sir."
"Now."
She walked away from the desk.
Raavi was rolling over a roti in the kitchen. She used to live in a 2BHK in a residential building built in a middle class residential colony. She heard a doorbell. She walked out of the kitchen and went to the door. She opened the door. Sameer stood outside carrying his side bag. She smiled after seeing her.
He came in. She shut the door. He removed his socks and shoes near the shoe stand.
She said, "It's too late tonight. It's eleven o'clock."
"Yeah."
He sat on the sofa. She came out of the kitchen carrying a glass. She gave the glass to him. He drank the water.
He said, "There was a lot of pending work in the bank after I took leave for the marriage."
She sat beside him on his couch.
"Wasn't there anyone else who could handle the work?"
"There were two guys. The Jitesh sir told me that they resigned."
"They could have hired someone in place of them."
"I don't believe they resigned. They were quite hardworking. I trained them. I knew them."
"Don't worry, just relax. I am bringing you the food. Just eat and have some sleep."
She stood up.
He said, "Raavi."
She turned around.
He said, "I have to office tomorrow and day after tomorrow too."
"Oh."
"I am sorry but I can't do anything. I told him about our plan but he wants to work even on the weekends."
She sat and held her arm gently.
"You don't need to worry about. We will do it on another day."
He smiled. He nodded. She kissed him on his cheek and stood up. Sameer and Raavi were sleeping in their bedroom with lights off. Raavi woke up and sat. She stepped off the bed. She went to Sameer. She picked up his phone from the side table. He placed the phone screen in front of his face and got it unlocked. She tapped on the contacts app and went there his recent contacts where she came across a name, 'JITESH SIR (BM)'. She came out of the bedroom carrying the phone.
Jitesh's car was parked somewhere at a roadside. A place where no one could notice in the night. He sat on the backseat. Neha sat on his lap facing him. Both of them had their uppers removed. They were smooching.
She said, "Sir, I am going to get married next year. When I am going to have increment?"
"Don't worry, your increment is my priority. Just keep giving me what I want from you."
"I have to buy a lot of gifts for my cousins."
"I have talked about your increment with the cluster head. He has assured me that there will be an increment in your salary in April."
He started kissing and then biting on her lips.
She said, "You are biting me sir."
"I am preparing for your consummation night. I trained Tanisha too before her marriage."
"I know, in the pantry."
His phone rang. He picked the phone from the seat. The screen displayed, 'SAMEER'.
"Why he is calling me right now?"
He attended the call.
"Hello."
Raavi said, "Jitesh sir?"
"This is Sameer's number, right?"
"I am his wife."
"Oh, Raavi. Yeah, he told about you. How are you?"
"I am good sir. Sir, can we meet?"
"Now?"
"It's urgent sir, please."
"Okay."
He hung up the call.
Neha sat beside him. She wore her upper outfit.
He said, "Sameer's wife wants to meet me."
"Now?"
"Yeah, I don't know what does she want."
"Why would an employee's wife wants to meet his manager? Maybe she wants to negotiate with you for his promotion."
He hummed.
"Oh, May be. If this so then I have to rethink about your increment. Anyway, it will be a win win situation for me."
Neha opened the door and stepped off the car carrying her handbag. Jitesh drove his car off. After driving almost five-six miles he pulled over his car behind the residential colony. He looked at his wrist watch. His backseat door was opened by Raavi who sat behind him and shut the door. He looked at her reflection in the rear view mirror.
"Raavi, why don't you sit beside me?"
"No, thanks."
"Well, as you wish. What do you want to talk about?"
She smirked. He kept looking at her reflection. Her canines grew longer. Her eyes pupils turned red. Her nails turned into long and sharp claws. Jitesh was astonished and couldn't believe what he was seeing. He held the door handle in order to get it opened but Rivaa ripped through the seat with her bare hand, plunging it clean through his body. He groaned loudly.
"Consider this the price of deliberately tormenting someone I love beyond measure. Pick your phone up and get it unlocked."
Jitesh extended his hand towards his phone. He picked up the phone and unlocked it. She took the phone. She tapped on the chat app and texted a message to Sameer. She pulled her hand back and turned back to the human state. She opened the door and stepped off the car carrying his phone. Jitesh kept bleeding from his chest and eventually died.
Sameer woke up in the middle of the night. He was facing his side table. He extended his hand and picked up the phone. He tapped on the side button. The home screen displayed a chat notification.
"Jitesh sir?"
He unlocked the phone. He tapped on the chat app. He saw the unread message which was sent by Jitesh. He tapped on the message.
'Sameer, you don't have to come on the weekend. I'll handle the pending task myself on Monday.'
"Really?"
He turned around and found Rivaa was on the bed beside him.
"Rivaa?"
He sat on the bed.
"Rivaa?"
He stepped off the bed. He walked out of the bedroom.
"Rivaa?"
He heard the flush sound from the bathroom. Rivaa opened the door and stepped out of the bathroom. She wiped her sole on the mat.
"Were you calling me?"
"I was just panicked after not finding you in the room."
"Come on, where would I go at night?"
"No, I was just concerned about you."
She wiped her hand with the towel. She went to the bedroom followed by him.
She sat on the bed.
"You want to talk about anything?"
"Actually I just got message from Jitesh sir."
"Oh, what was it?"
"He has told me not to go to the bank on weekend."
"Oh, that's a good news."
It was around six at morning when a police car arrived before Jitesh's car. Saloni opened the door and stepped off the car. Sub Inspector Pramod stood there with a newspaper vendor, Sampath.
He said, "Ma'am, he is the newspaper vendor who saw the body."
She nodded. She went near to the car of which the backseat door was already opened. There was a big hole in the driver's seat which was caused during the attack.
"He has been brutally ripped apart by whoever killed him."
She noticed the claw marks on the seat.
"Who was here?"
She said, "Send the body for the post mortem and the car to the lab."
He gave her Jitesh's ID card.
"I got this from his dashboard."
"Phone?"
"Not found."
She nodded and took the ID card.
"Ace Corporation Bank."
"Today is Saturday. It must be closed today."
"Yeah, I know."
"Ma'am, I don't think it's a human who killed him."
"I think the same. The way he has been killed, and the claw marks on the seat, indicates it must something like an animal."
Saloni stood before Doctor Ayush in the hospital.
He said, "Jitesh's body has same marks as on Arvind's. Both the murders seems to be committed by someone or something which has big claws."
"You mean they have been killed by the same person?"
"I can't be sure but they both looks same. It's the possibility that a wild animal is walking free in the city who is targeting humans randomly."
Divya walked in.
"Doctor."
They turned to her.
She said, "Where is my husband?"
Divya stood before Jitesh's dead body in the morgue. Ayush and Saloni stood behind her.
She yelled, "No!"
She knelt down on the ground and sobbed. Saloni came forward and held her.
"Ma'am, ma'am, try to handle ma'am."
Diya sat on a chair in the reception desk, sobbing. Saloni sat beside her.
"If you really want to know who killed your husband, you will have to help me."
Divya wiped her tears and nodded.
"Where was your husband last night? Do you have any idea?"
"I tried to call him twice last night when he didn't come home after eight. He didn't attend my call. I didn't call him later after I thought he would be busy."
"Is there anyone you know who can tell me about him?"
She nodded.
Neha locked her flat door. She went downstairs carrying her handbag. She walked out of the apartment building while using her phone.
"Neha!"
She turned around. Saloni stood there near the police car. Neha sat beside Saloni in the police car.
Saloni said, "I only want to hear the truth from you, Neha. Okay?"
She nodded.
"Where were you last night?"
"I was with Jitesh sir last night."
"In the bank."
"No, we were just together. I was in his car."
"Oh, I got it. For how long it has been going on?"
"Seven months. He promised to give me increment in exchange of favours so I agreed. He even used to bring me gifts every month."
"Gifts?"
"Yeah.....gifts, like bracelets, watches, sandles, handbags."
"What happened last night?"
"Before I left he got a call from Sameer."
"Sameer?"
"He works in the bank. But I don't think he can kill anyone. He is a soft hearted guy. I know him. He is not like others."
"How was his bonding with Jitesh?"
"Jitesh sir used to envy him."
"Why?"
"Because he was good. Whenever Jitesh sir used to misbehave with or abuse any employee in the bank Sameer used to confront him."
"Where does he live?"
Sameer stood before the dressing table in the bedroom, wearing a black full sleeves shirt, buttoning up his sleeve cuff. Rivaa was correcting her saree drape.
He said, "Do you know Rivaa?"
"What?"
"I still can't believe that Jitesh sir messaged me at night for not coming to the office."
She huffed.
"Some people realise their mistake a bit later."
They heard the doorbell. Sameer walked out of the bedroom. He opened the door. Saloni stood outside. He was perplexed to see a cop outside his flat.
She asked, "Mr. Sameer?"
"Yes."
"I would like to have a word. You have to come with us.
He asked, "What is the matter?"
"Your manager Mr. Jitesh has been murdered."
"What? When?"
"Last night."
Raavi came out of the bedroom.
"What happened?"
"Who's she?"
"She is my wife, Raavi."
Raavi came to him.
She asked, "What happened Sameer?"
"Jitesh sir has been killed?"
"What?"
Saloni said, "Mr. Sameer, please come with us?"
Raavi asked, "Why?"
"Relax Raavi, I'll deal with this, okay. Everything will be alright."
He went downstairs following Saloni.
He said, "I know I used to work under Jitesh sir, but trust me I have nothing to do with his murder."
"Whatever you have to speak in your favour, say it in the police station."
Sameer sat inside the interrogation room. Saloni stood before him.
She said, "You called him just before his death."
"What?"
She kept a paper having a list of phone numbers written along with the time.
She said, "This is Jitesh's call record. Look at the last number."
Sameer slid the paper towards.
"Huh, it's my number. Wait, 1 AM (astonished)? I was sleeping!"
He quickly took out his phone. He went through his recent contacts where there was Jitesh's number was mentioned in the outgoing calls list.
"I didn't call him. I swear."
She said, "Enough, Mr. Sameer. Give your statement now. Why did you call him?"
"I have no idea."
Saloni pulled a chair and sat before him.
He pleaded, "Trust me officer, I didn't call him. And I am not the killer."
"Okay, alright. Then who could it be. Raavi, your wife who is just a simple housewife. May be she could have called your manager and killed him."
"It can't be Raavi."
"Then, who could it be."
Pramod unlocked the prison lock. Sameer entered the prison. Pramod locked the prison from outside.
"You'll remain in our custody until the enquiry ends."
He walked away. Sameer put his hands on his hips.
"What the hell?"
He held the prison bar with his right hand.
"Sameer sir."
He turned around. He saw Gaurav and Anubhav sat on the wooden bench inside the prison.
"Gaurav, Anubhav."
They stood up.
"Sir, what are you doing here?" Anubhav asked.
Gaurav said, "Are you too here because of Jitesh sir?"
"What? How do you know? And Jitesh sir told me that you resigned from the bank a week ago."
Anubhav said, "We didn't resign. We were framed."
"Framed for what?"
"Assault. Tanisha accused us for assaulting her."
"And this is not true. We know Jitesh sir must had told her to do so."
Sameer asked, "Can you explain?"
A week ago, It was around seven at evening, Gaurav and Anubhav were having Vada pav at a stall, sitting on the stools in front of each other, carrying plates. They stood up after having the food. They threw the disposal plates in the nearby dustbin. Gaurav unzipped the bag to take his wallet out.
"Shit?"
Anubhav asked, "What happened?"
"I think I left my wallet in the branch. I have to go back."
Anubhav paid the vendor in cash. He drove the bike away from the stall. Gaurav sat behind him. They arrived near the bank. They walked in.
Gaurav said, "Thank God branch is still open."
"Yeah, Jitesh sir must be still working."
They went upstairs.
Anubhav said, "Do you remember where did you keep the wallet?"
"I think I left it in the pantry."
Tanisha sat on the slab of the pantry. Jitesh stood in front of her holding her waist. She was holding his shoulders. He pulled her towards him and they started kissing each other. Jitesh held her leggings and tried to pull it down when Gaurav and Anubhav arrived. Gaurav walked in. Jitesh and Tanisha glanced at him.
Jitesh yelled, "What the hell are you doing here? Get out!"
Anubhav narrated, "Fearing that we would reveal everything about what happened between them, Tanisha filed a case against us, and Jitesh presented himself as an eyewitness. Even without our confession, the police threw us into jail."
Presently, Raavi came near to the prison.
"Sameer."
He turned around.
"Raavi? What are you doing here."
"Sameer, why they have kept you here."
"Raavi, just go home, okay. I'll be back."
"No, I'll take you out of here, Sameer. I can't live without you."
"Don't do anything Raavi, this is a sensitive matter. I'll have to handle on my own."
Pramod came there.
"Ma'am, your time is over. You have to go now."
"I am going to take you out of here."
"Ma'am, just leave."
"I won't leave until you release him."
"Raavi, go home."
Two female constables came there and held her hands. They tried to take her out of there. In no time Raavi went furious and turned into the vampiress. The cops and Sameer were stunned to see her. She hurled the female cops on the ground. Pramod took out his gun in order to shoot her but she chewed his fingers before he could pull the trigger. She broke the prison bar.
"Come with me."
"Raavi!"
"Now!"
She held his hand and took him with her fighting any cop who came to her way. They came out of the police station. Sameer's car was parked outside. He drove the car away from the police station. Raavi turned to human state.
He asked, "Raavi, what was it? What did I just see?"
"Just go where I am asking you to."
"I don't understand what's going on."
He drove the car to a forest and stopped in the middle of the woods. Sameer and Raavi stepped off the car.
He said, "What's this place? It's a jungle."
"This is where I used to live."
"What?"
They walked together through the forest.
"I lived here for years. I had been wandering here for years, haunted by the memory of my love— the man my father had killed."
"Who he was?"
"You."
He stopped.
"Me?"
"Three thousand years ago, you used to be a Dracula. Your only mistake was, you loved me. My father didn't want any Dracula to love her daughter that's they hired vampires to kill you. When I learnt that they killed you I was devastated. Days later I killed all the vampires one by one who were responsible for your death, even my father."
"So, you are a vampire."
"Yes, I was hoping that you would born again. I came to city in search of you."
"And when you finally found me...."
"I just wanted to possess you at any cost."
She came closer to him and held his palm.
She said, "I can't see anyone hurting you."
She kissed him. He hugged her and caressed over her head.
"Truly speaking, it sounds weird but it still feels good that I found someone who truly loves me."
Rivaa smiles and they kissed for the last time as the sun was about to set.
