And She Kissed a God

7. Tunnel

Getting to the tunnel was the hard part. We stepped out of the room I had been in since I woke up and I caught the glimpse of the entire house. I was on the first floor of a grand palace, decorated in modern art. We walked on the thick red carpet outside on the balcony. We walked past a drawing-room, a painting room and including a room containing dais and musical instruments. Dancing room?

I looked down the parapet wall. A long hall on the ground floor took my breath away. It had heavy divans and chairs in the middle to conduct conversations. I arched my body to find exits in all directions, but also men in black suits stationed at every exit.

"Stop peeking," Priya said, dragging me back into the walk. "You will get us caught."

Sam walked with us, hands crossed and bold. "I still can't get over how you are back-stabbing my grandson."

After a five-minute walk, Priya stopped near a door and turned back. "I am not back-stabbing anyone." She pushed the door and held it open for us. "I am performing my duty." She checked to see if anyone followed us and closed the door behind her. "Some people in your family want to leave you alone. And I agree with them."

We walked into what Sam called a room for meditation, candlesticks on the tables, a veena in the middle, before a god's statue and posters with Sanskrit slogans on the walls.

"How many rooms does this place have?" I asked.

"Forty-three," Priya replied.

She was in a corner, taking down a poster. A box-shaped hole appeared with a numbered keypad. She rubbed her hands together and pressed four numbers.

The device beeped.

"God." Priya hung her head down. "They must've changed the passcode."

Sam stepped forward. "This is my house and everyone else is changing passcodes. I pity myself."

She pressed four numbers, and the device beeped again. Then Sam rubbed her chin, grinned, and pressed another four numbers.

We heard a click.

"Ah," Sam said, smiling. "His wife's birth year, my grandson is getting sloppy."

Priya paid no attention to Sam's words as she was busy pushing the centre part of the wall. It wasn't moving.

She groaned. "I can use some help."

Sam rolled her eyes and reached the wall, leaned her shoulder to it, and pushed. It hadn't moved yet. I joined them, pressing my feet to the floor and shoulder to the wall.

There was a creaking noise before the wall budged. Priya smiled, her eyes were bright. She turned the wall to its last angle, and a pathway came into sight. It was dark and smelled like chlorine.

"So, is this the secret tunnel?"

Priya stood, panting and nodding.

Sam gave a wave of disgust. "Yes, it leads into the garage and then into the forest. I used it to play hide and seek with my grandsons. Now, I'm using it to sneak out my boyfriend."

Priya said, "If you don't help, you won't have a boyfriend to sneak out."

"That's ridiculous," Sam said, frowning. "I am telling you I can protect him."

"This is not the time to second guess your decision."

Priya walked in first, moved her hands along the wall.

"What are you doing?"

"Trying to find the light switches."

Sam shook her head, took my hand, and walked into the tunnel. We took a few steps, and a muted silver light, manoeuvred in lotus-shaped casings, lit up. "They have sensors, just like the ones in the rooms. Am I the only one trying to upgrade this place?"