The phone call disconnected before I could say anything.

"Is something wrong?" Rohan asked me.

"No," I said, faking a smile, "Just a promotional call."

"I hate seeing you two together," Mia stomped her foot and walked away from the lab like a typical teenager.

"Mia, Mia," Rohan went behind her, "Listen to me." I followed him

"Where are you going, Mr. Rohan Mukherji?" Aashim blocked his path, smirking.

"It's none of your business," Rohan said with hate blazing in his eyes.

"I think it is the time for your Quantum Physics period," Aashim said in a snake-like voice, "By the way, where is Anika? Is she with you or your brother?"

"Aashim," Rohan's hands reached Aashim's collar, "Don't you dare speak a word about Anika!"

"Rohan," I said, "Mr. Aashim Dobriyal is our teacher. Don't forget that."

"You have grown wiser, Anika, after Rohan left you," Aashim said, "I wonder why don't you go with Ryan. They both have same faces and at least, he would never desert you for another woman like Rohan had." 

"I don't trust boys now, Aashim," I said, smiling, "But I do agree that Ryan is much hotter than Rohan." I had to pretend that I hate Rohan for leaving me in front of Aashim and Ryan.

Though it was just a pretense, but I could see jealousy in Rohan's eyes when I said this. The rest of the college day was quite uneventful.

When I reached home, I was quite tired. Thankfully, it was not a day for coven meeting. I lied down on the bed but I was still worried about Mia. I did not want to come between a father and a daughter. I closed my eyes and tried to access Rohan's eyes. I didn't want to pry on him but I was sure that Rohan would never share his problems with me. I was sure that Rohan had used memory protection spell yet.

I focused at a white point and I could see Rohan rushing towards his house.

"Mia, why have you kept the door open?" I could hear Rohan saying aloud.

"Someone has come to see you, Papa," Mia said.

"Mia," Rohan said with anger, "I have told you not to disclose our relation..."

"Good Evening, Mr. Rohan Mukherji," A twenty-something sophisticated looking man in black suit with red shirt was standing there, "Your daughter is a lovely young lady." His eyes were red and skin was pale as a corpse. His ruby lips were enhancing his surreal appearance. Even a naive person could tell that he was a vampire.

"What are you doing here, Prayaas?" Rohan sharply asked.

"Just coming out of the castle for a stroll," Prayaas said, "What do you find wonderful here? Why don't you join our dark world? At first, I could understand it was for revenging your brother's death but now, why do you care to live here?"

"First," Rohan said, "Aashim didn't only kill my brother, he had also killed my parents. But you tell me, what do you want from me?"

"You know what I want," Prayaas said, going towards Mia in a dramatic manner, but Ryan came between them by virtue of his vampiric speed, "What did Lamia want when she killed all newborns in Greece? What did tilberadraugar want when it dragged its victim to its own grave? What did Ashmodai's daughter want when she snatched the breath of the man who had betrayed her? Why did Mullo haunt their killer? Why did Dearg-due killed her fiance and father who forced her into a loveless marriage? Why did you return to Nemtenh to join Aparajita's coven? Why is Ryan trying too woo your ex-girlfriend Anika?"

"Revenge?" Rohan said.

"You got it," Prayaas said, " From being Paolo to Philippe, Pavlovich to Palamedes, Petru to Panyong and finally Prayaas, all I had wanted was revenge from humanity. I have roamed this hell known as earth for a thousand years just to take revenge."

"But what do you want revenge for?" Rohan asked. I could not blame him for his curiosity.

"Vampires are mysterious," Prayaas said in hwith tilted face, "You should know that. You have forgotten the manners of vampires after living in human society for these long years. What kind of a father are you? Don't you want Mia to know about her proud heritage. You should live with her in Tristeka."

"I will come to Tristeka one day, I promise," Rohan said, "But you need to leave my home right now."

"OK, OK," Prayaas said, "But I have brought a gift for little Mia."

"Give it to me, I will give it to her."

Prayaas handed a locket with a staked heart to Rohan. "It will never let her forget what humans do to us?"

My eyes opened as if by a jerk. I was drenched in sweat. There were more things to worry about now than Nia, the Salem witch.