Went Out For A Roll, Returned A Vampire

The footsteps of mischievous kids running up and down the stairs in their latest round of hide-and-seek, the old couple in the apartment upstairs arguing about lost spectacles, cars and bikes honking as if that would help clear the traffic jam, the temple bells ringing, street hawkers trying to sell their wares and their heartbeats… the delicious heartbeats.

Vaibhav bit into the face buff covering his mouth, No, don’t think about the people outside. Focus on the fight scene.

Normally, these noises wouldn’t bother him, having stayed in Delhi since his first year of college. But right now, being reminded that there are humans nearby was intensifying the thirst he was feeling, a thirst that a glass of cold water couldn’t quench.

Focus on Tsunami-chan’s tits!

It was taking all of his willpower to not go out and grab the first person he saw. Right now, he was regretting not getting those noise-cancelling headphones Arsalan Khan kept nagging him to buy. Then again, would those overpriced gadgets really help, as enhanced as his senses were? He could literally hear Arsalan and Pulkit Jain breathing outside the door. One of them rang the bell once. Vaibhav didn’t budge from the bed, he hoped they would leave if he didn’t respond. But they rang the bell again and again.

Arsalan knocked on the door with as much force as possible. “Vaibhav! Open the door!”

“We know you’re in there,” Pulkit added calmly.

“I told you both not to come,” Vaibhav shouted back.

“But why?”

Vaibhav tried coming up with an excuse. “I’ve got COVID!”

Arsalan scoffed, “Really? That’s the best you could come up with? Well, guess what, we’re vaccinated, so we’ll be fine. Just open the door.”

“It might be a new strain,” Vaibhav retorted.

“Why you-” Arsalan was about to kick the door but Pulkit put his hands on Arsalan’s shoulders, stopping him.

“Arsalan, calm down. Let me talk to him.”

Arsalan scoffed, folding his arms, glaring at the door, “I bet he’s got a chick in there and doesn’t want us to know.”

Vaibhav snorted. I wish it were because of a girl. Then the image of a young woman with a beguiling smile formed in his mind. Wait a second, it is because of a girl.

Pulkit took a deep breath and turned to the door, “I know you have your reason. In the three years we lived together, you’ve never caused us any problems.”

“Talk about yourself,” Arsalan interrupted, “bro’s never on time with his share of the rent.”

Pulkit rolled his eyes, continuing his plea, “Whatever it is that’s bothering you, you can share with us. We may not be able to solve it but locking yourself in alone is not the solution.”

“You don’t understand,” Vaibhav bit his face buff, trying to take his mind off his thirst, “I’m too dangerous to be near people. I could hurt you two.”

“Now you’re just capping.” Arsalan, at six foot two inches and with a muscular build compared to Vaibhav’s average and thin build, had serious doubts about his roommate’s chances.

Pulkit gave Arsalan a dead stare before turning to the door, “It’s okay. I know you’d never harm us-”

“Because you can’t,” Arsalan added.

Pulkit pinched Arsalan’s arm, making him yelp before continuing, “He’s being an ass right now but deep inside he’s just worried. You’ve never done anything like this before. Please, we need to know you’re fine.”

“I’m not fine,” Vaibhav hated how his voice cracked but he kept talking, “I’m not the same person you know. I’m… I’m thirsty.”

Arsalan raised an eyebrow, “Like you need to drink water, thirsty? Or horny thirsty?”

“Arsalan!” Pulkit grumbled.

“What? It’s a valid question.”

“I could kill you both!” Vaibhav roared before slumping, feeling as heavy as lead, “Just stay at Jaspreet’s place for a while. I’ll figure out something and let you know.”

“Just tell us what you’re going through,” Pulkit insisted, “we can figure it out together.”

“But-”

“And before you say you could kill us, you may not trust in yourself but we trust you so trust that our trust in you is trustworthy.”

“What?”

“Yeah, that sounded deep in my head,” Pulkit rubbed the back of his head, “Basically, three heads are better than one. Let us help you.”

Vaibhav mused on Pulkit’s words. True, the thirst in him was unbearable but he had gone the entire day without going on a rampage. That meant he could resist his thirst, right? Besides, he hadn’t been able to think of anything on his own anyway. Maybe his roommates could suggest something, if they believe me, that is.

“Your low IQ brain ain’t gonna help you. Let us in.” Vaibhav hated how Arsalan seemed to read his mind.

Vaibhav hesitantly got off the bed and walked to the door. His friends' heartbeats kept getting louder with every step he took, making his mouth water. Vaibhav almost thought of sending his friends away but deep inside, a desperation nagged at him. The desperation to have someone listen to his problems. He quickly unlocked the door and ran back to the bed.

Arsalan and Pulkit stepped in. Vaibhav looked like a mess, covered in blankets. The kitchen was a mess too, with all the bottles lying around.

“Bro, did you empty all the drinks in one night?” Arsalan asked, stepping towards the kitchen.

“Stay near the door,” Vaibhav warned, making him stop. “You might need to run soon.”

“Wow, the mask and the social distancing- you’re really leaning into the Coronavirus excuse,” Arsalan rolled his eyes and took a step towards Vaibhav.

“STAY THERE!” Vaibhav’s eyes flashed bright red, shocking his roommates.

“Easy there,” Pulkit raised his hands to pacify him, “What happened to your eyes?”

“Are you cosplaying as a vampire?”

Vaibhav chuckled dryly, “No, Arsalan. I am a vampire.”

Arsalan and Pulkit gaped at Vaibhav’s answer.

One. Two, Three.

Arsalan guffawed uproarously. Pulkit tried to stifle his laughter but he couldn’t help it.

Vaibhav clenched his fists, “Guys! I’m serious. I’ve turned into a vampire,” he lowered his buff and bared his fangs, “Look at my eyes and my teeth.”

Arsalan and Pulkit took a good look at Vaibhav. His eyes were not only red but the pupils were shaped like slits. His canines seemed a tad bit longer than usual. His brown skin seemed a bit duller than usual too. But Arsalan and Pulkit weren’t convinced. All of these could be explained away through cosmetics, fake fangs and contact lenses.

Arsalan scoffed, “Just because you look the part does not mean you are it.”

“We need something more convincing,” Pulkit suggested.

Vaibhav sighed, pulling his face buff back up. He walked to the wall on his left. Arsalan and Pulkit watched him with anticipation. Vaibhav lifted his left leg and placed his foot on the wall. Then he lifted his right leg and stepped on the wall. Then he walked up the wall and up the ceiling until he was directly above the spot he was standing at earlier.

Arsalan gaped at the sight, his throat making a pained sound but his brain was unable to come up with something smart for the first time in his life.

Pulkit was equally discombobulated. His first instinct was to pull out his phone and livestream what he was seeing to his 30 thousand followers but Arsalan had enough presence of mind to stop him from pulling it out of his pocket.

Vaibhav dropped down to the ground and landed on his feet superhero style before standing up and brushing the dust off of his clothes, “Convinced now?”

Pulkit and Arsalan nodded, still gaping.

Pulkit was the first to get his bearings and ask, “But how?”

“It’s a long story, y’all might want to take a seat.”

Arsalan and Pulkit stepped towards the bed.

“Away from me. I’m barely keeping myself from jumping you two and sucking you dry.”

Arsalan thought of a smart quip but decided it wasn’t the time, “Can you switch on the AC at least?”

Vaibhav obeyed. Arsalan and Pulkit took their bean bags and sat opposite Vaibhav, near the gate in case they needed to make an escape. Vaibhav took a deep breath and started his tale.

The night before, while Pulkit and Arsalan were partying at Jaspreet’s flat, Vaibhav finally finished the report he was supposed to submit yesterday, this time without AI. Not that it would help him score more with Amrita ma’am. She’d probably mark the whole thing red. Vaibhav sighed. He was too tired from all the brainwork, so joining Jaspreet’s party wasn’t an option, though he did feel a bit hungry. So here he was outside Khan Baba’s, having a paneer roll and fresh air.

It had just rained, so the weather was bearable, with a light breeze blowing. As he was savoring the cheesy goodness of the paneer, something unexpected happened.

“Hi, do you mind if I sit here?” A sweet, feminine voice asked.

Vaibhav looked up from his roll and was dazzled. Before him stood a fair beauty right out of a fashion magazine. She was dressed rather casually in a crop top and plain black skirt but she still looked 10 out of 10. A girl like that would normally never approach him and move the other way if he approached them. In hindsight, it should have been his first clue that something was wrong. But he was so bedazzled by her pearly smile that he didn’t notice her fangs. All he could manage was a “huh?”

“All the tables are taken. Do you mind if I sit here with you?” She rephrased.

Vaibhav motioned to the chair opposite him, “Oh, please, take a seat.” She’s not trying to flirt with you, idiot. She just had nowhere else to sit.

“Thank you!” She sat down with grace, setting her plate on the table and taking her seat in one fluid motion.

Vaibhav could already hear Arsalan in his head telling him not to bother the nice lady. Pulkit would be nicer but say the same thing. But as far as Vaibhav was concerned, you miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.

“I’m Vaibhav, by the way.”

She smiled, “Richa.”

“Are you new here? I’ve never seen you around before.”

“You could say that. I’m here on vacation.”

They hit it off well after that. He learned that Richa was a traveller and a foodie. She travels far and wide to try different cuisines. She was here in Delhi to try some North Indians. She was awfully vague about what dishes she tried.

Richa was very inquisitive about him. Some of the stuff she asked were rather personal, like whether he had any blood diseases or if anyone would miss him if he went missing. A normal person would have alarm bells ringing in their head but Vaibhav was too mesmerized by Richa’s reddish eyes, which she claimed were from ocular albinism.

“Are you free tonight?” Richa brushed her foot against Vaibhav’s leg under the table, “I was hoping to take a stroll around the neighbourhood but it’s not safe alone at night.”

Vaibhav could feel his heart race at Richa’s touch, “Of course. I’d be happy to show you around.”

He led her around the neighbourhood, passing by several shops and restaurants. They soon reached the neighbourhood park, where a few men were enjoying whiskey.

“Hey sweetheart, why don’t you join us for a few rounds,” one drunkard said and others started hooting.

Vaibhav stood in front of Richa protectively. He was not built like Arsalan but he thought he could hold these drunkards back and give Richa enough time to run if it came to that.

Richa held his arm, which he hadn’t realized was trembling. She smiled at him, calm and collected.

“Look,” the short one said, “hero thinks he can take us on.”

Richa turned to the drunkards, still smiling. Vaibhav couldn’t see it but her eyes were glowing.

“There will be no fighting, boys,” her voice felt strangely alluring and echoey, “It’s time to go home.”

And just like that, the drunkards stood up, with blank expressions on their faces as if in a trance and silently left, leaving their booze behind. One of them dropped the bottle he was holding, shattering it.

That finally rang some alarm bells in Vaibhav’s head but they went silent when he looked into her eyes, brimmed with tears.

“That was so scary,” she sobbed, “Look how badly I’m shaking. Won’t you hold me, please?”

In a trance, Vaibhav wrapped his arms around her and she wrapped her arms around him. She stood on her toes, her face rising close to his. Her cool breath made his skin tingle. As their lips got closer, Vaibhav could feel his heartbeat getting faster and harder.

Is this it? My first kiss?

Vaibhav could almost feel her lips close to his-

“ARGH!”

Then pain flooded his body as Richa sank her fangs into his neck. Vaibhav tried to push her off but her grip was rock solid. He couldn’t even budge her as he felt her drain his blood. He tried screaming but could only manage muffled noises. Even if he could, no one would hear him in this deserted park. People in nearby apartments might hear the noise but ignore it as some drunkards messing around at night.

Vaibhav felt his legs go limp, held up by Richa, who continued draining his blood. Vaibhav felt light-headed, tears forming at the corner of his eyes.

Is this it? I die a virgin? I just wanted a roll.

His eyes got heavy, his vision blurring into darkness.

“FIGHT!” Vaibhav heard Arsalan’s roar, a memory from the past when he was being beaten by a gym bro whose girlfriend he unknowingly hit on.

Vaibhav could barely stand, he barely had any strength in his body. If he had to guess, his body was half empty and the vampiress holding him had superhuman strength. But he didn’t give in then and he wouldn’t now. So he did the only thing he could.

“Ah!” Richa gasped as Vaibhav bit her ear as hard as he could. It wasn’t a strong bite, but it surprised her. Who bites a vampire? Enough to let go of Vaibhav, who pushed her away and tried running away, only to fall to the ground from blood loss.

Richa snarled and leapt at Vaibhav. He reacted by grabbing the nearest object and swinging it at her. Richa choked on her blood as a broken whiskey bottle stabbed her neck, squirting blood out of her like a fountain. Before she could get her bearings, Vaibhav’s adrenaline finally kicked in, giving him the strength to smash another bottle on her head, making her fall towards a swing and hit her head again and go limp.

Vaibhav didn’t bother checking for vitals. He used his newfound strength to run home as fast as he could. Once he entered the apartment, he locked it and slumped against the door. He dialed the emergency number and waited for someone to pick up. He never got to know if someone did, as unconsciousness took over.

Rays of sunlight woke Vaibhav up, not quite burning him, but irritating his skin. He irritably drew the curtains, his brain foggy. Right now, he could focus on only one sensation: thirst. He felt like the thirstiest man alive. Megha ma’am used to yap about how the entire world could go dry if they didn’t conserve water; he felt exactly that.

He opened the fridge, took a bottle and chugged all the water down; still thirsty.

He took another water bottle and chugged it down; still thirsty.

He took a juice bottle and chugged it down; still thirsty.

He took a milk bottle; still thirsty. He chugged down a few beer bottles; still thirsty.

He lifted the five-gallon bottle off the water dispenser and chugged it down; still thirsty.

The floor was covered in bottles but his thirst couldn’t be quenched and he had no idea why. Then he heard a heartbeat getting closer. Thinking it might be Richa, he took a bat and went to the door.

“Who’s there?”

“Bhai, I’ve got a parcel for Pulkit Jain,” a male voice replied.

Vaibhav relaxed. He placed the bat beside the door and opened it. But as soon as he opened it, he froze. He had never seen the man before him ever in his life. But every second he looked at him, he couldn’t help but wonder how delicious his blood must be.

Just one bite.

Suddenly, the memories of last night flooded his mind.

“Sir? Here’s your parcel,” The man held the parcel forward.

Just one bite.

Vaibhav reached for the deliveryman’s hand, slowly. He could just grab him and suck his life out.

Just one bite.

It was early in the morning. Everyone was going to the office or school, no one would notice if this man went missing. Vaibhav’s hand was close to the man’s.

Just one bite.

Vaibhav grabbed the parcel and shut the door.

The deliveryman was surprised but shrugged it off and walked away, “Probably a bad trip.”

Vaibhav rushed into the washroom and checked the mirror. His eyes were red and his fangs long, just like Richa’s.

Back in the present, Arsalan and Pulkit listened as Vaibhav narrated his tale.

“That’s when I texted you guys to stay at Jaspreet’s place.”

Pulkit started fake crying, “I can’t believe it. At your moment of death, you thought of Arsalan and not me.”

“Yes, very kidney-touching.” Arsalan was touched but would never admit it.

“Guys, what am I gonna do now? I can’t go out like this. Everyone makes me want to bite them.”

Pulkit stopped his act. “You know, I think you’re just fine. You’ve been talking to us without going berserk on us.”

“Yeah, you’re probably overthinking this,” Arsalan agreed, “By the way, does sunlight burn you?”

“No, it just irritates my skin a bit.”

Arsalan got up from his bean bag and walked to the curtains. “Well, don’t mind me but the room could use some sunlight.” He drew the curtains and let out an unmanly scream, for outside their window was Richa, covered in her own blood, red eyes wide with madness and an angry smile on her face.

“That’s the bitch who ruined my life!” Vaibhav pointed his finger at her accusingly.

“Ruined?” She scoffed, “You were just a few beer bottles away from diabetes. I made you immortal. You should thank me.”

Arsalan backed away from the window, “We’re on the fifth floor! How’s she up there?”

Pulkit hid behind Arsalan, “She’s a vampire, she’s probably flying.”

Vaibhav rushed to stand between them and Richa, “You guys run. I’ll hold her back.”

Richa phased through the window and landed in front of the boys, licking her lips, “No one is running. We can’t let you waste the snacks you brought.”

Arsalan pointed his finger at her, shaking with fear, hoping it looked like anger, “Who are you calling snacks, you bloodsucker? We ain’t scared of you. We can take you on.”

“No, you can’t. Trust me, I’ve been attacked by you both,” Vaibhav whispered to Arsalan.

Pulkit pulled out his phone and started livestreaming, “Well, my 30 thousand followers-”

Richa’s eyes glowed and Pulkit’s phone burst into flames.

“No, I just finished paying my EMI,” he frantically tried smacking the flames away.

Arsalan grabbed Pulkit’s hand and made him release it, “Forget it man, it’s gone.“

“My dad’s gonna kill me.”

Richa smirked, “Don’t worry, he won’t get the chance.”

Pulkit let out a loud, anguished cry, “YOU MONSTER!”

“How rude! You were the one who started recording me without my permission.”

“You guys run! I’ll hold her back,” Vaibhav repeated.

“Can you really take her on? She’s been a vampire longer than you,” Pulkit asked.

“Do you have a better idea?” Arsalan asked.

“What if we pray?” Pulkit asked.

Richa giggled very ladylike, “Oh yes! Prayers. The greatest fear of vampires. Should I expect the mighty Indra to smite me with his vajra?”

“Hey, just because vampires are real doesn’t mean God isn’t,” Vaibhav retorted.

“Yeah, if anything, it points to the existence of the supernatural,” Pulkit added.

Richa huffed and folded her arms, “Let’s see this supernatural force in action then.”

Arsalan nudged Vaibhav, “Vaibhav, say a prayer.”

“Bro, I’m a vampire. What if my prayer smites me?”

“Good point,” Pulkit said, “Arsalan, you say a prayer.”

“Umm…”

“What is it, Arsalan?” Vaibhav asked.

“I don’t know any prayers.”

“What do you mean you don’t know any prayers?” Pulkit asked, “How do you pray every Friday?”

“I follow the Imam.”

Richa yawned, “Tick-tock, boys.”

Vaibhav tsked, “Pulkit, you try.”

“About that…”

“Oh no.”

“And you were criticising me for not knowing my prayers, eh?”

Richa cackled, “This is fantastic. You have no way of calling your supernatural savior. I’d love to play more but I’m on a schedule.” Richa was about to charge them.

“Utube!” Vaibhav said, “Just put any prayer on Utube!”

Arsalan searched the net and played the first prayer that appeared.

“Does your toothpaste have salt?”

“Aww! Come on!” Arsalan angrily tapped the skip button, which refused to activate until the end of the ad.

“Great! This is why I tell you to subscribe to Premium,” Pulkit cussed.

“Well, let me tell you something, boys. In 200 years, you aren’t the first despos to try praying me away. Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians- they’ve all tried but none of their prayers were answered. You know why? It’s because there’s no one listening on the other end. If there were, they would never make a world like this.”

Pulkit raised his hands to pacify her, “You sound like you have deep lore to share. Why don’t we get on my podcast and let it all out?”

Richa’s eyes flashed and she bared her fangs, “NO! Enough talking. It’s lunchtime.”

Vaibhav raised his fists, “Guys, just go. I’ll hold her back.”

Richa raised an eyebrow, “Oh, fledgling thinks he can take on his benefactor? You have no idea of the difference in our power.”

Vaibhav smirked, “I made you bleed when I was a human.” He yelled and rushed forward with his fist cocked back.

Richa sighed. The moment Vaibhav tried to land the punch, she ducked to the side, letting his fist swing and carry his momentum forward. Before he could get his bearings, she unleashed a rapid flurry of punches on him in the blink of an eye, landing multiple hits on his liver and solar plexus before delivering a kick to his chin. Vaibhav fell like a sack of potatoes, his mind going blank for a few seconds before registering all the pain.

“You just caught me lacking yesterday. You are two centuries too young to be taking on me.”

Vaibhav groaned, “Run!”

Pulkit and Arsalan dashed towards the exit but Richa reached it before them, blocking their way. She grabbed Pulkit and Arsalan by their throats, lifting them up.

“Let go of us!” Arsalan punched Richa square in the jaw hard enough to break a normal person’s jaw but she didn’t even budge. Arsalan punched her repeatedly but she just laughed.

“You’re full of protein but you don’t look natty. I’ll let Vaibhav have you.”

Vaibhav tried to get on his feet, “Let them go.”

“Stay down.”

Vaibhav’s body went limp, refusing to get up no matter how much he snarled.

“Please, we won’t tell anyone,” Pulki pleaded.

“I know,” Richa sank her fangs into his voice box and started draining his blood. He choked, unable to even scream despite the pain.

“No!” Arsalan rained more punches on Richa, which didn’t even budge her as she enjoyed her lunch.

“Arsalan,” Vaibhav groaned, “scissors.”

It took five seconds, but when Arsalan understood Vaibhav’s idea, he attacked Richa, poking her eyes with his fingers using all his strength.

“ARGH!” Richa, expecting a punch, was not ready for her eyes to be gouged out. She let go of Arsalan and Pulkit, who had passed out from blood loss and rubbed her eyes as they bled.

While she recovered, Arsalan grabbed the bat and swung it at her head with all his might but she caught his arm mid-strike. She faced Arsalan, her eyes, regenerating, flashed with anger.

“Before you eat me, I confess I’m really not natty.”

Richa snarled and sank her fangs into Arsalan’s neck, making him scream. If anyone heard him, they were doing a good job of pretending not to.

Vaibhav gritted his teeth, willing his body to move but Richa’s spell seemed unbreakable. Even if I could break it, what would be the point? She’d no diff me in no time.

“Vaibhav,” Arsalan screamed, “Don’t worry about me. Take Pulkit and run.”

“I can’t move!”

Richa giggled, her laughter muffled by Arsalan’s throat as she continued to suck.

“Bro, you’re a vampire! Do something vampirey!”

What does he expect me to do? Walk on walls or- Something clicked in Vaibhav’s mind. He grunted and glared at Richa as hard as he could.

“Bro, seriously?”

Vaibhav glared at Richa with all his might. Richa ignored him and continued sucking Arsalan. She was tempted to comment but knew better than to talk during lunch.

Vaibhav glared so hard he looked constipated.

Arsalan’s consciousness started slipping away, his screams turning into groans, “Oh Allah, spare me this once. I will never touch alcohol again.”

Vaibhav’s eyes flashed.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!” Richa burst into flames. She dropped Arsalan and tried patting the flames away but they wouldn’t go away.

Heh! There is someone listening on the other side after all. Arsalan welcomed the darkness as he slipped into unconsciousness.

Richa dropped to the ground and rolled around, hoping to put out the flames. Vaibhav chuckled in relief, though he felt drained after using the power and slipped into the realm of dreams.

When Vaibhav woke up, he found Pulkit and Arsalan sitting over him. Their eyes were red, their canines long and their skin paler.

“Are you okay?” Pulkit asked.

Vaibhav nodded and sat up, “You guys are vampires too.”

“That’s what happens when you don’t drain all the blood within ten minutes,” Richa said, unburnt and now wearing his Exsqueeze Me T-shirt, “Remember that when you drink the blood of your enemy, you wouldn’t want them to be immortal too.”

“We’re not drinking anyone’s blood,” Vaibhav said, “enemy or otherwise.”

Richa shrugged, “Suit yourself. Not drinking blood for seven days is the only way for a vampire to die. Though I doubt you fools will make it that far before your thirst overwhelms you into draining the first living creature you see.”

“Why are you still here?” Arsalan asked.

“Take a guess.”

“Because it’s your duty to show the way to fledgling vampires made by you?” Pulkit guessed.

“Good guess,” Richa’s eyes flashed and the trio was on fire. They ran to the bathroom, screaming and turned on the shower, putting the flames out.

“Why’d you burn us too? Vaibhav was the one who set you on fire?” Arsalan balked at the injustice.

Richa folded her arms, “Collective responsibility.”

“Are you a teacher or something?” The idea of having a vampire near kids sent a shiver up Arsalan’s spine.

“No but I do have one thing to teach you three idiots. There’s only one rule among vampires: don’t get caught vampiring. Drink blood or starve yourself? That’s up to you. Now I’d like a shower, so get out.”

The trio walked out of the bathroom and Richa shut the door from inside and turned on the shower, humming an old folk song.

The three friends mulled over their new reality.

“We’re vampires now. And we have only one week to drink someone’s blood or else we die. What do we do?” Pulkit asked, “The thirst is already killing me.”

Arsalan harrumphed, “I’m not sucking anyone’s blood. It’s haram”

“So is beer but that doesn’t stop you,” Vaibhav raised an eyebrow.

“Well, I’m leaving that too. I’ve seen the error of my ways. Besides, human life is sacred. My mom used to say that killing one person is like killing all of humanity.”

“I agree with the sentiment,” Pulkit nodded, “Non-violence is the core of Jainism. I can’t fathom killing another person to quench my thirst,” he rubbed his throat, “Boy, it’s quite intense, though.”

Vaibhav nodded, “No human deserves to be treated like mere cattle. We’ll find a way to survive without blood.”

Someone banged hard on their door. “Open up!”

Vaibhav opened the door, to reveal a fat, bald man in a white wifebeater scowling at them.

“Mehta uncle? What brings you here?” Vaibhav asked.

“I’m not here to see your ugly mugs. I want my rent!” Mehta answered.

“But we already paid this month’s rent,” Pulkit pointed out.

“Are you calling me a liar?”

Pulkit stopped Arsalan from reacting, “We never said that. There must be some mistake. Please check your records.”

“There’s no mistake! You owe me rent. But what can I expect from your kinds?”

“Excuse me?”

Mehta scoffed at Arsalan’s reaction, “Your community is always the first to resort to violence when things don’t go your way,” he turned to Pulkit, “Your people have all the wealth in the world but always look for ways to save money,” he turned to Vaibhav, “And your caste practically lives on reservation at the cost of others.”

The boys went quiet, their eyes flashing red.

Mehta didn’t notice, “What are you looking at? Give me my rent!”

Arsalana pulled Mehta in and Pulkit closed the door.

When Richa stepped out of the bathroom, fresh from a shower, she found the boys biting Mehta’s body, long after it had been drained.

“Well, that didn’t take you long,” Richa shrugged.

“It’s different, he deserved it!” Vaibhav tried to justify it.

“Yeah, from now on, we’ll only suck people who deserve it,” Arsalan insisted.

“Whatever, just make sure to get rid of the bodies and don’t get caught,” Richa opened the door.

“Wait!” Vaibhav stopped her, “Before you go, answer one thing.”

Richa looked at Vaibhav expectantly.

“Are you single?”

Richa did not answer, she grimaced as if she’d been asked to eat a cockroach, then shut the door behind.

Arsalan patted Vaibhav’s back, “Look on the bright side. You now have eternity to find someone dumb or desperate enough to want to be with you.”

“What? That’s not a no,” Vaibhav insisted.

Pulkit patted his back, “That’s the loudest no, ever.”

They spent the day, looking for ways to hide dead bodies online. They felt a bit stupid upon finding a movie about animal-blood-drinking vampires.

Arsalan shook his head, “I’ve been around you vegetarians for too long.”