"So," Kiara's eyes twinkled with joy, "Am I a vampire now?"

"Not yet," Ryan said, nudging Kiara's belly, "You fool! I haven't drunk a single drop of your blood."

"But why don't you make me a vampire?" Kiara complained, "We could move somewhere far from here and live with each other forever. Why are you so hell bent on taking revenge from Rohan and Aashim?"

Ryan's blue eyes were like sapphire blazing in the fire, "First thing, Kiara, is that I don't have any feeling for you. And how can you ask why do I want revenge? I posed as Rohan in front of Aashim to save his life and what has he done? If he had drunk my blood, I would have forgiven him but he killed our parents? And all that happened in the name of love! I couldn't kill Aparajita but I will surely torture Anika so much that Rohan will beg for his death."

I looked behind for Rohan but no one was there. I took my steps with care so that Kiara and Ryan won't see me. I knew where Rohan would be.

Rohan was sitting with his feet dipped in the cold waters of Nemtenh lake. I sat beside him.

"Could you believe," Rohan was laughing like a maniac, "That I killed my parents. I killed my parents! I killed my brother too."

"It's not true, Rohan," It was hard for me to control my tears.

"I killed Mummy! I killed Papa! I killed Ryan! And I was the reason of Aparajita's death!" Rohan shook me, "Anika! Stay away from me! And take Mia with yourself, otherwise, I will kill you both." 

"No," I said, looking into Rohan's eyes, "You can't leave us. Mia is your daughter and Ryan is your brother. He has sacrificed enough for you and now it's your turn to protect him from himself."

"And what if you get hurt in the process?" Rohan said.

"My element is Earth," I said, "I am born for sacrifice. But if the evil raises its head, I know how to destroy the castle of evil."

"You are the only ray of the sunshine in the dark night of my life, Anika," Rohan smiled.

"You don't have a single ray, there is the whole sun lighting your way," I said, "Have you forgotten Mia?"

"I don't know, Anika," Rohan said, holding my hand, "Am I a good father to Mia?"

"Don't worry," I said, putting my hand on his opposite shoulder, "You are the best father Mia can ever have!"

"I love you," Rohan said, kissing my forehead. I kissed back his cheek, whispering, "Love you too."

I don't know for how long we sat like that, but it was only when it was entirely dark that I realized what the time was.

The next day, when I entered the class, everyone was whispering. I thought that someone had seen me with Rohan at the Nemtenh lake.

I sat on a different seat beside a nerdy girl. "Do you know what happened?" She whispered.

So, it was not about me! But I was not interested in any kind of rumours.

Still, the nerdy girl insisted, "Do you know our new teacher Mr. Aashim Dobriyal?"

"Yes? What has he done?" I was alarmed by now.

"He has not done anything," the nerdy girl said as if she was going to disclose the address of a hidden treasure, "Shubham had seen Aashim and that girl, Mia, together."

"Together, like?"

"Shubham said," the nerdy girl sighed, "That Mia proposed Aashim."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" I said.

"It's not nonsense," the girl said, "Everyone knows it. By the way, why are you so agitated. You already have the hot twins. Tell me, which one is more interesting?"

"Disgusting!" I said and went to the First Year classroom.

I stormed towards Mia's desk and said, "Mia, come out with me."

Mia kept staring at me.

"Mia, can't you listen to what I said? Come with me," I said and dragged her to the Electronics lab by holding her hand. The lab was all empty and carefully arranged covered with transistors and diodes.

"What the hell?" Mia pushed away from me.

"What are your plans? Have you proposed Aashim?" I said breathlessly.

"What have you got to do with it? You are not my mother?"

"Stop playing with father," I said.

"I am fire, Anika," Mia said, "And anyone who messes with me will be burnt. Why are you so concerned? Are you not dating your junior's father?"

"If you stop getting near to Aashim, I will leave Rohan forever," I said.

"Woah! Great Anika who sacrifices everything for the right!" Mia said, clapping, "But I am not as great as you. I can't forgive my mother's killer."

"Aashim can't kill your father," I said.

"Why?"

"Because he loved her, since they were children, he could never harm her," I said.

"But he was a reason of her death and I won't let him go," Mia said.

"Don't play with the fire of revenge," I said,  "No one has come out of it unburnt."

"There you are," I heard Rohan's voice, "What are you doing here? I was so worried."

"We were just getting to know each other. Your girlfriend is so cute, Papa," Mia said, hugging me.

"Yes, yes," I said, uncomfortable in Mia's embrace. Her body transmitted electrical impulses.

My cellphone buzzed. I excused myself and attended the call, "Hello Anika, I am Kriti speaking."

"What? You were dead? How can you..."

"Beware," the voice of other side said, "The witch of Salem, Nia is coming."