SAMPLE: THE LYING REFLECTION BY PAEL KHUGAN

Mathew had always led a demanding life. But, that had been the nature his of business, and all the matters he had handled, had been business related. But he was not prepared for the kind of pressure that life brought him right now. There were too many challenges, too many battles, and too much of emphasis on faith—not the kind a person has upon himself, or his abilities, but the kind that the Bible teaches you. He had been under the impression that that kind of faith had been erased since the middle ages, and found himself uncomfortable, doubtful even, surrounded in that atmosphere.

Too many anxieties like worms wriggled in his mind, each demanding more attention than the other. The experts from Calcutta were down; going through his tea estate. Analysing, taking samples, asking him questions, and Mathew had to concentrate on that practical part of his life as well. Although at times, it became difficult to even be polite or patient with their numerous questions, but he had to. For that was his real world, the practical world.

On the other hand his emotional, his unnerving involvement with the demonic world of Æsa, was taking its toll on his physical and mental well-being to a great extent. He felt that he lived his life within a mixture of hallucinations interspersed with small bouts of reality. Only he understood the supreme effort that it took to share the same roof with the Dark Angel. And he did it for his cherished daughter. But sometimes as the other day had been, even the reminder of his daughter could not keep him within restraint.

The botanical experts from Calcutta were put up in the guest house that fringed the tea estate. All meetings, all analysis and experiments conducted on the dying plantation were held there. Arrangements for all their meals too were made there. Mathew preferred it that way. However, common courtesy required that at least once he should invite his guests to the plantation house for dinner. The dinner had fortunately been uneventful, though Mathew had been quite fretful through it, afraid that Æsa may just make an unwelcome appearance. However, he let out a sigh of relief as the red tail lights of the plantation jeep disappeared in the dark narrow lanes of the estate taking his guests back to their quarters while he stood alone at the car porch and bade them goodbye.

“You are unnecessarily going through all this trouble you know.”

Mathew jumped at the voice. He had not realized when Æsa had slowly crept up behind him. He turned around reluctantly.

“All you need to do is just ask. I told you that. But no! You like to make your own life so very difficult. What is with you people?” she said spreading her hand in mock despair. “Here you are wasting your money on a couple of bumbling nerds, when just at a single nod I can bring back your plantation to its formal glory. Even tilt the scales slightly for you to make a bigger profit. But it’s so difficult to make you humans see reason sometimes.”

“Yes, I have seen exactly how helpful you have been. And no thank you. I will handle my problems by myself.” said Mathew, his sarcasm almost palpable. Perhaps that evening’s stress had made him more defiant.

“The only help I need right now from you would be to just let me know how the hell, can I destroy you.” he almost spat the words. However, the moment the words were out of his mouth, he froze, realizing his mistake. He had never meant to antagonize Æsa, but sometimes as was the case right then, the frustration was just too much.

She had been standing several steps higher than Mathew. But suddenly, as swift as a sudden gust of wind, she flew through the distance that separated him from her. Fear gripped Mathew’s heart into a tight clutch. His eyes widened in shock, while Æsa’s seemed to narrow into yellow reptilian slits.

“Don’t think for a moment that just because till now I have spared your life, I would hesitate to take it; you ungrateful scum!” She exclaimed through gritted teeth as her claw-like fingers held his neck in an iron grasp. “No, I think…I think I should just tear a piece of your throat, just to teach you all a lesson.” She said breathing hard; trying to subdue her demonic anger.

Oxygen to Mathew’s brain was slowly getting cut off. He could feel his head growing heavier and numb, while his body shook with craving for oxygen. Like a heroin addict needing a fix. However, he was completely helpless. He didn’t seem to have the strength to lift a finger, let alone fight her. Mathew stood still, petrified; disbelief painted on his face, for he couldn’t imagine that he would die right then.

She was too close to him. Her yellowed eyes almost penetrated into his soul. Her breath had the foul stench of a carnivore, while her teeth had suddenly turned into sharp bluish white canines. It was like looking inside the mouth of a shark. There wasn’t even the remotest resemblance of that being to his daughter Trisha.

He was suddenly overcome with sadness knowing that he might never see Trisha again as the Dark Angel stared at him and his neck with an emotion bordering on almost lust. He observed everything, as if in the last few moments of one’s life, every detail gets embedded in the mind. Moments longer than eternity passed, as each stared at the other. One horrified, while the other tempted. However, eventually, Æsa retreated letting go of his neck.

“It’s not going to be so easy.” She said with a crooked smile. “I have a plan for you. For all of you. So just live each day, thinking that it’s going to be your last.” She looked hard at Mathew before turning around and leaving him standing all alone in the still night with the sounds of the crickets in the background.