Whisper in the dark

Chapter 8

Ananya sat in the newly assigned room Raghav had arranged for her. The atmosphere around her felt heavier with each passing moment, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being watched. The anonymous messages, the strange accidents, and now, the heightened security measures—it was all too much to ignore. The hotel wasn’t just a place to investigate anymore; it had become a part of the mystery itself.

A soft knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. She opened it to find Raghav standing there, his face serious yet calm.

“We need to talk,” he said, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation.

Ananya crossed her arms defensively. “About what?”

Raghav sighed, clearly uncomfortable. “Look, I understand that you don’t trust me. Frankly, I don’t fully trust you either. But someone is threatening you, and that makes it my business. If anything happens to you while you’re in my hotel, it’s my responsibility.”

Ananya raised an eyebrow. “You think this is about your hotel’s reputation?”

Raghav’s gaze met hers, unwavering. “I think it’s about something much bigger than either of us. You’re digging into something dangerous, and I can’t have you getting hurt—or worse.”

Ananya felt a flare of irritation but kept her tone level. “I didn’t ask for your protection, Raghav. I came here to find out the truth about Raj’s death.”

Raghav’s face softened slightly at the mention of her late fiancé. “I know,” he said, more gently this time. “And I’m starting to think that his death might be connected to these threats.”

Ananya felt her heart skip a beat. “What are you saying? Do you know something?”

Raghav shook his head. “Not yet. But I have my suspicions. We’ve found some inconsistencies in the hotel’s records, things that don’t add up. I’ve also spoken to a few staff members, and one of them mentioned a room that’s been sealed off for years—Room 315. No one’s been in there for over a decade.”

Ananya’s curiosity piqued. “Why? What happened there?”

Raghav leaned against the wall, folding his arms. “That’s what we need to find out. It’s not on any of the public floor plans, and none of the guests know it exists. I’ve asked the maintenance team to unlock it, but they claim the key’s been missing for years.”

Ananya frowned. “Do you think whatever’s in that room could be connected to the threats?”

Raghav hesitated. “I don’t know. But if we’re going to find out, we need to work together.”

Ananya looked at him, considering his words. She didn’t want to rely on him, but she couldn’t ignore the fact that she needed help. And whether she liked it or not, Raghav was the only one with access to the hotel’s inner workings.

“Fine,” she said after a long pause. “We’ll work together. But this doesn’t mean I trust you.”

Raghav smirked, though there was no humor in his expression. “Trust me, the feeling’s mutual.”

The following day, they began their investigation. Ananya and Raghav poured over old blueprints and hotel records, looking for anything that might give them a clue about Room 315. Tension simmered between them during their interactions, both of them too proud to admit that they might actually need one another.

While reviewing the documents, Ananya found a note scribbled in the margins of one of the old ledgers. It was dated nearly twelve years ago and referenced a “special project” in Room 315. There were no details, just the initials “R.K.”

“Who’s R.K.?” Ananya asked, showing the note to Raghav.

Raghav glanced at it, his brow furrowed. “I don’t know. But whoever they were, they had access to the highest levels of the hotel.”

Their search continued late into the evening. As the night deepened, both Ananya and Raghav grew increasingly frustrated. Answers seemed elusive, and their efforts appeared to be leading nowhere.

Then, just as they were about to call it a night, Raghav’s phone buzzed with a message. He read it silently, his expression hardening.

“What is it?” Ananya asked, noticing the shift in his demeanor.

Raghav handed her the phone, and she read the message aloud. “Check the maintenance logs. The key is hidden in plain sight.”

Ananya looked up at Raghav. “Who sent this?”

“I don’t know,” Raghav said, his voice edged with suspicion. “It’s from an unknown number.”

They immediately turned their attention to the maintenance logs. Flipping through the pages, Ananya’s eyes landed on an entry from five years ago. It detailed routine work in the north wing of the hotel, but something caught her attention.

“The janitor’s closet,” Ananya said slowly, reading over the notes. “It says here that a key was found but never logged into the inventory.”

Raghav’s eyes narrowed. “That could be it. Let’s check it out.”

The two of them made their way to the north wing, navigating the dimly lit corridors in silence. When they arrived at the janitor’s closet, it was small and cluttered, filled with cleaning supplies and old tools.

Raghav began searching the shelves while Ananya examined the walls. After a few minutes of sifting through dusty boxes, Raghav let out a small sound of triumph.

“Found it,” he said, holding up an old brass key.

Ananya’s eyes widened. “That’s it?”

Raghav nodded, brushing the dust off the key. “It has to be. This key matches the lock for Room 315.”

Ananya’s pulse quickened as they exchanged a look. For the first time since their uneasy alliance began, they were on the same page.

“We need to see what’s in that room,” Ananya said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Raghav nodded, his expression serious. “Let’s go.”

As they made their way toward the mysterious room, the weight of the moment hung heavily in the air. Both Ananya and Raghav knew that whatever they were about to uncover could change everything.

They reached Room 315, and Raghav inserted the key into the lock. It turned with a creak, the door slowly swinging open to reveal the dark, untouched interior.

Ananya held her breath as they stepped inside, the air thick with dust and the faint scent of decay. The room had been left undisturbed for years, and the silence was deafening.

“Let’s see what they’ve been hiding,” Raghav said, flipping the light switch.

The dim overhead light flickered on, casting eerie shadows across the room. As Ananya’s eyes adjusted to the gloom, she spotted something in the corner—a large, old trunk covered in dust.

Her heart raced as she and Raghav exchanged a glance. Whatever was inside that trunk held the key to unlocking the secrets of the hotel, and perhaps, the truth behind Raj’s death.

They approached it slowly, each step echoing in the stillness. Ananya’s hand trembled slightly as she reached for the latch.

Together, they lifted the lid.

Inside, a collection of documents, old photographs, and letters lay scattered haphazardly. Ananya sifted through them, her fingers brushing against a photograph of someone she recognized instantly.

It was Raj.

Raghav stood beside her, his face unreadable. “We’ve found something important,” he said quietly.

Ananya stared at the photograph, her mind racing. Whatever they had just uncovered, it was only the beginning.