The House of Hidden Doors

Chapter 5

The night had settled quietly over the village.

From the guest room window, Anaya could see faint lantern lights glowing in the distance. The peaceful atmosphere outside felt completely different from the storm of thoughts inside her mind.

Her grandfather lay unconscious on the bed, breathing slowly.

Anaya sat beside him, watching his face carefully.

The guardian bloodline…

The strange words he had spoken earlier kept repeating in her head.

What had he meant?

And why had he looked so frightened when he saw Raghav?

Anaya sighed and stood up.

She needed air.

Stepping quietly into the hallway, she noticed the house was much larger than it had seemed from outside. Long corridors stretched in different directions, lit by dim yellow lamps.

Most of the rooms were closed.

The silence made the place feel almost mysterious.

Anaya began walking slowly, observing everything around her.

The walls were decorated with old paintings and framed photographs of past village leaders.

Many of them looked serious… powerful… almost intimidating.

At the end of the corridor, she noticed a staircase leading downward.

That surprised her.

She hadn’t seen a basement entrance earlier.

Curiosity slowly pulled her toward it.

The stairs were made of dark stone and led into a shadowy lower floor. The air below felt cooler and strangely quiet.

Anaya carefully stepped down.

Each step echoed softly in the silence.

When she reached the bottom, she found herself standing in a large underground hall.

Her eyes widened.

This wasn’t a storage room or basement.

It looked like some kind of… courtroom.

In the center of the hall stood a heavy wooden chair that resembled a judge’s seat. In front of it were several benches, arranged like a place where people might be questioned.

Iron bars lined one side of the room.

Cells.

Small prison cells.

A chill ran down Anaya’s spine.

Why would a village leader build a courtroom and jail inside his own house?

Before she could think further, a voice suddenly spoke behind her.

“You shouldn’t be here.”

Anaya spun around quickly.

A tall man stood at the entrance of the hall.

His expression was calm but sharp.

He looked slightly older than Raghav, with broad shoulders and a quiet strength in his posture.

“Who are you?” Anaya asked.

The man walked down the steps slowly.

“Veer Singh,” he replied.

The name immediately clicked in her mind.

Raghav’s elder brother.

She crossed her arms.

“And why shouldn’t I be here?”

Veer glanced around the underground hall.

“Because this place is not meant for guests.”

Anaya raised an eyebrow.

“Then what is it meant for?”

Veer didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he studied her carefully, as if trying to understand something.

“You’re the city doctor,” he said.

“Yes.”

“The one who challenged my brother.”

Anaya shrugged slightly.

“He started it.”

For a brief moment, Veer’s lips twitched in what almost looked like amusement.

“That sounds like him.”

Anaya gestured toward the iron cells.

“So… are you going to explain this?”

Veer followed her gaze.

“This is where my father handles… serious matters.”

“Serious matters?” she repeated.

“Disputes. Crimes. Problems in the village.”

Anaya frowned.

“That’s what a police station and court are for.”

“This village doesn’t rely on outsiders,” Veer replied calmly.

“Everything is handled here.”

Anaya felt uneasy.

The authority of the Sarpanch seemed even stronger than she had first realized.

Before she could ask another question, another voice suddenly echoed through the hall.

“I told you to stay in the guest room.”

Raghav stood at the top of the staircase.

His expression was clearly annoyed.

Anaya rolled her eyes.

“Oh relax. I was just exploring.”

Raghav walked down the stairs slowly.

“This house is not a place for curiosity.”

“Well maybe you should stop hiding secrets then.”

Raghav stopped a few steps away from her.

“What secrets?”

Anaya pointed toward the courtroom and cells.

“This entire place.”

Raghav glanced briefly at Veer.

His brother said nothing.

Then Raghav looked back at Anaya.

“You’re here for your grandfather,” he said coldly.

“Focus on that.”

“I am focusing on that,” Anaya replied.

“Which is why I want to understand why he reacted the way he did when he saw you.”

For a moment, silence filled the hall.

Veer’s expression darkened slightly.

Raghav’s eyes narrowed.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

Anaya hesitated.

Then she repeated the words.

“He said something strange.”

“The guardian bloodline.”

The reaction was immediate.

Veer stiffened.

Raghav’s gaze sharpened.

And for the first time since she arrived in the village…

Anaya realized she had said something very important.

Something they didn’t want her to know.

Neither brother spoke.

But the tension in the room had suddenly become much heavier.

And Anaya understood one thing clearly.

The secrets of this village were deeper than she had imagined.

And somehow…

Her grandfather was connected to them.

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