As Johnny entered their ( Johnny and Mavis' ) bedroom, he did so as quitely as possible. Still, for an acute hearing equipped vampire, it was like an avalanche. She had been waiting for Johnny, and had fallen asleep in the process. She got straight up in a jiffy, surprising her husband.
" You are here. You took your time. Whats up? You look like you saw a ghost."
" Not a ghost, but the daughter of dracula rising from her sleep. Thats way more scarier and cooler."Mavis laughed, which was a good natured one considering the jibe he threw at her.
" Looks like I haven't lost my touch", she chortled.
" Ya..."
"Whats up? You look ... troubled."
" Troubled? Naaah, its just that your dad, The Count Dracula (Emphasizes on the last three words) , has set me a job he was supposed to do. Its a job in which the consequences are disastrous if it goes wrong somehow, yet really respectful and successful for this hotel if I manage to get it right, that too somehow."
" The description you gave, that job is in this hotel? I mean, you are the hotel's human relations coordinator. That kind of job for you?"
" Thats called active thinking, and I love it. No, it's not within these walls, but about five thousand kilometres away, in one of the busiest and richest cities in the world. Mumbai."
" India?"
" Precisely."
" For what?"
" Some hotel conference thingy. I am not at all inclined to go, because with me, there is always a big chance of commiting a blunder. If anything foolish happens, it will be before a lot of people. That too in front of some of the most influential people in the world. That will be a real shame."
" That is a real pessimistic view of it. It cannot possibly go that bad. If you go, I am sure you will do great. I have complete faith."
It took him some time to reply. " Thanks."
" No prob. So, when do we depart?"
"We?"
" Yeah, us."
" Terrible sorry hon. This time, a group vacation is going to be a big no go. It isn't me, trust me," he quickly said when he saw her alighted face drop." Its your dad, he made the rules, not me. He said not to take you or Dennis to this excursion of mine. Sorry."
" Why?"
" To that, I have no answer. I told you it wasn't me, it was him. Maybe we could ask him."
A swift swosh of wind followed, and it took some time for Johnny to register what Mavis had done. He shook his head, half exhasperatedly and half out of amusement.
" I did not mean now ..."
He made his way out of the room, taking care to lock the door behind him.
Five mintes later, he came to the entrance of Dracula's office, and heard the sound of slightly heated arguments coming from within.
"Not gonna end well for me, is it?", he mocked, tilting his head.
He opened the door.
Silence.
Then, he saw two pairs of eyes, both initally a slight tinge of red, after which one slowly to blue.
"Time is of the essence to you, isn't it?"
" Well, wasting time mulling over this seemed really outrageous. Curtailing my right to freedom? To my love for adventure and explorations?"
"This is no holiday! He is going to a formal function! He won't have time to take you out of the hotel and roam. How different is it from here?"
"Oh a lot, dad. The whole location whilst being changed, has a tendancy of changing everything. Even staying in a different location is a new and enjoyable experience. Johnny, back me up."
Johnny, however, was staring at Dracula, transfixed. He saw his father-in-law's face flash fear and opposition for a fraction of a second, before becoming the usual impassive face.
" While I am against keeping someone locked up in a cage without their acceptance, but in this case I will bend my ideals a little. Are you sure that you will stay by your word?
To keep her here? Are you really sure about what you heard - is he or she real? Or just a myth?"
Dracula took his time to reply. Finally he nodded.
" He is real. I will not let her go ou-"
" Wait a sec, I am missing something", interjected Mavis.
" Who is this 'he'?"
" That I am not bound to answer", her father retaliated.
" This is where you go wrong. She has the right to know, buddy. Also, she isn't the one who would give up without a fight. So you better tell her."
" She will not be able to take in th-"
" Then you do not know your daughter well, even after the last hundred and twenty eight years. She is not the one who will buckle and be scared to someone unworthy like Van Helsing!"
"Who?" Mavis was quick to retaliate.
Dracula looked at Johnny with a murderous glare, but a completely unfazed Johnny shrugged, gave him a meaningful look, and then nodded his head towards Mavis.
The Mythical Vampire finally sighed.
" Fine. It was for your own good. But, If you want to really swim in dangerous waters, who am I to stop you?"