Little Book Of Red Lies | Shubman Gill ✓

23. Tears

"Of everyone, my daughter decides to date a vampire."

In the haste and rage of the moment, Sachin was nobody but a father. A father afraid of what his daughter had asked for herself. It didn't even occur to him that Sara might not have known that Shubman was a vampire. And the knowledge that she had been under oblivion all this while made his temper flare.

"A...what?"

"She doesn't know?" For the first time that evening, Sachin acknowledges Shubman. And Shubman cannot bring himself to meet his eyes. Looking at his feet, he nods in negative.

"For god's sake…" Sachin cannot think of anything he could possibly say to that.

"He's not dangerous. If that's what you're worried about." Kavya speaks up. She couldn't keep quiet any longer. It had already pained her to witness Shubman being ashamed of something he had been meaning to tell Sara.

Sara looks at Kavya in bewilderment. Kavya's face was sincere which meant that she had known. She noticed with a heavy heart how Shubman gave her a grateful tiny little smile.

"And how can you be certain of that?"

"Because Kaka, he's been living with us for what...sixteen days now?" She looks at Shubman for confirmation. The absolute ridiculousness of the moment had made her err in counting the number of days.

"Seventeen." Shubman gently says as if only for her to hear. Despite the seriousness of the matter at hand, Kavya couldn't contain a smile. The fact that he remembered the precise number of days he had spent with them tugged the strings of her heart with immense warmth.

"Seventeen days, Kaka! And he has never lost control of himself."

"He surely would have acquired the control with time Bala but have you ever bled in front of him?"

"As a matter of fact I have. Very recently."

Everyone, except Shubman, looked at Kavya with surprise. Arjun who had walked in the hall when he had heard his sister scream, looked visibly baffled at everything he had learnt. A lot made sense now. Shubman deliberately ignoring his messages….any contact….
Maybe just for a moment, Arjun allowed himself to feel Shubman's pain. It must have been agony for him to stay away from the ones he loved just because he lusted after their blood.

It was unknown to Shubman but he had already acquired another unwavering supporter in the room in the form of his former bestfriend.

"And…?" Sachin asked unable to wait any longer.

"And Shubman did not hurt me. He would never hurt me. Or anyone else. And definitely not Sara, Kaka."

Sachin was not a man with a hot temper. But he could not believe her statement after he had witnessed two people he loved being murdered by a ravenous creature. Had it not been for their love, he would have been dead. But killing them had drained all energy from that beast's body and Sachin had had the time to flee.

There have been many days in the past when he has wished that he would have died that day. And today is one of them.

"You can never be sure about that Bala." Sachin says, his voice tender as memories haunt him.

"I can! If you spend some time with Shubman you will know this for yourself! He has worked on himself so much that he can win over his desires."

Sachin shakes his head. He would not hear anymore of this.

"Kavya you don't know how dangerous a vampire can be."