Whisper in the dark

Chapter 19

As the evening sky dimmed, casting a warm golden glow over the hotel, Ananya sat at a small wooden desk in her room, poring over the diary they'd discovered in the hidden room. Every entry, each scribbled note, felt like it brought her closer to uncovering the truth behind Raj’s death. But with every discovery, a sense of unease settled over her. She wasn’t alone in this — someone wanted to keep the hotel’s dark secrets buried.

A knock at the door broke her concentration. She quickly stuffed the diary under some papers and opened the door to find Raghav standing there, his face etched with concern.

"Are you okay?" he asked, stepping into the room without waiting for her response. His tone was firm but laced with something softer — something almost caring.

Ananya nodded. "I'm fine. Just… processing everything."

Raghav’s presence had shifted in recent days. No longer the cold, distant hotel owner she had first met, there was now a warmth between them, a shared understanding that seemed to bind them closer with every passing hour. They both had lost something — someone — and that loss had created an invisible thread between them.

Raghav glanced around the room, his eyes briefly resting on the desk where she had hidden the diary. "We’ve uncovered a lot, but I can’t help but feel like we’re being watched," he said, his voice low, cautious. "Have you felt it too?"

Ananya bit her lip and nodded, remembering the times she'd felt eyes on her in the hallways or the chilling sensation that someone was following her. "Yes… it’s like someone’s always a step ahead. Every time we find something, it leads to more questions."

Raghav crossed his arms, his brow furrowing in thought. "This isn’t just about the hotel anymore, is it?" He met her gaze, and for a moment, Ananya saw past the businessman. His words, though guarded, carried the weight of concern.

"No, it’s not," Ananya admitted, her voice barely a whisper. "It’s about Raj. Everything comes back to him. I just don’t know how yet."

There was a beat of silence as Raghav processed her words. He had known that Raj’s death had been the catalyst for her investigation, but now it felt more personal. He realized how much this weighed on her, how deep her grief ran.

"Raj was a good man," Raghav said quietly. "I didn’t know him well, but I knew of him. He always seemed to have a way of making people feel safe. You must miss him a lot."

Ananya felt a lump form in her throat. She hadn’t spoken openly about Raj’s death with anyone, and hearing his name in Raghav’s voice stirred emotions she had tried to keep buried.

"I do," she said, her voice cracking slightly. "But I can't stop until I know what really happened to him. The police… they didn’t dig deep enough. They ruled it as an accident, but I know it wasn’t. There’s something more."

Raghav stepped closer, his voice low but steady. "And you think the hotel is the key to finding out?"

She nodded. "Everything leads back here. The asylum, the disappearances, and now these financial records… it’s all connected somehow. And I think Raj stumbled onto something he wasn’t supposed to."

Raghav’s eyes darkened, and he unfolded his arms, stepping closer. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder, a gesture of support. "We’ll get to the bottom of this, Ananya. I promise you that."

The weight of his words felt comforting. For the first time in a long while, Ananya felt like she wasn’t alone in her quest for justice. She had someone standing beside her, someone who believed her.

Before she could respond, her phone buzzed on the table. Startled, Ananya grabbed it and saw an unknown number flashing on the screen. With a frown, she answered it.

"Hello?"

A voice, cold and distorted, came through the line. "Stop digging, Ananya. You don’t know what you’re dealing with."

Her blood ran cold. "Who is this?"

"Walk away, or you’ll end up just like Raj."

The line went dead.

Ananya stood frozen, the phone still pressed against her ear. Her breath quickened as the words echoed in her mind. She slowly lowered the phone and looked at Raghav, her face pale. "Someone just threatened me. They know… they know about Raj."

Raghav’s face hardened, his hand instinctively moving to the phone in his pocket. "We need to report this."

But Ananya shook her head. "No. We don’t have enough proof yet. Reporting this will only alert whoever is behind it. We need to be smarter about this."

Raghav’s jaw tightened. "Then what do you suggest?"

She took a deep breath, steadying her nerves. "We keep going. But we’ll be more careful from now on. Whoever this is, they’re scared. And if they’re scared, that means we’re close."

Raghav studied her for a moment, admiring her determination. He had seen this side of her before, but now it was even more evident. Despite the danger, she wasn’t going to back down. And he realized, with a growing sense of resolve, that he wasn’t going to let her face it alone.

"Alright," he said, nodding. "We’ll keep going. But from now on, we don’t take any risks. We stick together."

Ananya smiled, a small but grateful smile, and nodded in agreement. "Together."

As they stood in the dimly lit room, both aware of the looming danger, the bond between them grew stronger. What had started as a mutual suspicion had blossomed into something more — a fragile but growing trust that neither of them could deny.

But as the night settled in and the shadows lengthened, the threat that hung over them grew darker. The game they were playing was becoming more dangerous, and both Ananya and Raghav knew that the stakes were higher than ever.

And someone out there was watching their every move.