Too much traffic between us

Burning Friction

The night after the fire had been a sleepless one for Vidisha. She had replayed the events over and over in her mind—Raunak pulling the injured firefighter from the rubble, their silent teamwork under the looming threat of disaster. She couldn’t shake the way they had worked together so instinctively, but that didn’t mean their complicated relationship was going to get any easier.

By the time the morning sun filtered into her apartment, she had resigned herself to another day of dealing with him. The fires were escalating, and with the connection to the real estate project becoming clearer, their work was far from over.

At the station, Vidisha noticed the tension in the air. There were murmurs among her colleagues, the latest fire sparking rumors and theories. Everyone had their own ideas about who was behind the attacks, but no one had any solid proof yet.

She tried to shake off the restless energy that had followed her all night, focusing on the task ahead. But as soon as she walked into the briefing room, her heart sank. There he was, Raunak, sitting across from Detective Rathi, deep in conversation.

They both looked up as she entered, and Vidisha braced herself for whatever confrontation might come next.

“Morning,” she muttered, trying to keep her tone neutral.

Raunak barely acknowledged her, nodding once before turning back to Rathi. For some reason, his cold dismissal stung more than she’d anticipated.

“Glad you could join us, Pradhan,” Rathi said, gesturing for her to take a seat. “We’ve got some new intel on the fires.”

Vidisha sat down, her attention shifting to the map on the table. Several points were marked across the city, highlighting the locations of the previous arson attacks.

“Based on the pattern we’ve identified,” Rathi continued, “we believe the next target is this warehouse in the industrial district. It’s part of the same development project as the previous sites.”

Vidisha frowned, studying the map. “So the arsonist is targeting properties that are about to be redeveloped. Why?”

Raunak leaned forward, his voice calm but sharp. “They’re trying to drive up the pressure on the developers, either to sabotage the project or force a sale. Whoever is behind this wants something out of the chaos.”

Vidisha’s eyes narrowed. “And you think burning half the city is the way to do it?”

“That’s exactly what I think,” Raunak replied, his gaze unwavering. “People like this don’t care about the collateral damage. They only care about the endgame.”

His intensity was palpable, but Vidisha wasn’t about to let him bulldoze the conversation. “So what’s the plan? We wait for them to strike again?”

Rathi cut in before the tension between them could escalate. “We’re going to stake out the warehouse. I want fire crews on standby, and I need both of you working together on this. If we’re going to stop the next fire, we need to be ready for anything.”

Vidisha’s stomach twisted at the thought of spending another day side by side with Raunak, but there was no time for personal conflicts. The city was at risk, and she had a job to do.

“Understood,” she said firmly, glancing at Raunak to see if he would argue.

To her surprise, he didn’t. Instead, he gave a curt nod, his expression unreadable. “We’ll be ready.”

---

Later that afternoon, Vidisha found herself stationed at the edge of the industrial district, watching the warehouse with her crew. The air was heavy with the scent of oil and metal, a stark contrast to the towering skyscrapers in the city center.

She checked her watch. The arsonist could strike at any time, and every second felt like an eternity.

Her phone buzzed, and she glanced down at the screen to see a message from Rathi. Keep your eyes peeled. We have a lead that something’s going down soon.

Vidisha swallowed hard, trying to steady her nerves. She glanced over at Raunak, who was standing a few feet away, his expression unreadable as he surveyed the area. He hadn’t spoken much since the briefing, and she couldn’t decide whether that was a relief or just another layer of tension between them.

“You think we’ll catch them in the act?” she asked, breaking the silence.

Raunak didn’t look at her, his gaze still fixed on the warehouse. “I think it’s the best shot we have.”

There was an edge to his voice, a sharpness that made Vidisha bristle. “What’s your problem?” she snapped, unable to hold back her frustration any longer. “You’ve barely said two words to me all day.”

Raunak finally turned to face her, his eyes cold. “I’m focused on the job, Vidisha. That’s what matters right now.”

“Don’t give me that,” she shot back. “You’ve been acting like I’m in your way since day one. If we’re going to work together, you need to stop treating me like some kind of obstacle.”

He stepped closer, his jaw clenched. “This isn’t about you. It’s about stopping these fires before more people get hurt. If you can’t handle that, maybe you’re the one who needs to step back.”

The words stung, but Vidisha refused to back down. “I can handle it just fine, Doctor. I’ve been handling it for years. So maybe you should stop assuming you know everything.”

The tension between them was palpable, like a live wire crackling in the air. For a moment, Vidisha thought Raunak might say something else, something that would push her over the edge. But before he could respond, her radio crackled to life.

“Pradhan, we’ve got movement on the north side of the warehouse,” one of her team members reported. “Looks like someone’s trying to get inside.”

Vidisha’s heart skipped a beat. This was it—the arsonist was making their move.

She exchanged a quick glance with Raunak, the heat of their argument momentarily forgotten. “Let’s go,” she said, motioning for him to follow as they rushed toward the warehouse.

They moved swiftly, keeping low as they approached the building. The sound of footsteps echoed in the distance, and Vidisha’s pulse quickened as they rounded the corner of the warehouse.

Sure enough, there was a figure near the entrance, fumbling with what looked like a set of incendiary devices. Vidisha’s instincts kicked in, and she motioned for Raunak to stay back as she approached the suspect.

“Hey!” she shouted, drawing her weapon as she closed the distance. “Step away from the building!”

The figure froze, then turned to run. Vidisha surged forward, adrenaline pumping through her veins as she chased after the arsonist. The suspect darted between the rows of industrial equipment, disappearing into the maze of crates and machinery.

“Vidisha!” Raunak’s voice called from behind her, but she didn’t slow down. She had to catch this guy—there was no way she was letting him slip through her fingers.

She rounded a corner and saw the suspect climbing a fence at the far end of the yard. Without thinking, Vidisha sprinted forward and leaped, tackling the arsonist to the ground. They struggled for a moment, but Vidisha’s training kicked in, and she quickly overpowered the suspect, pinning him to the ground.

“Don’t move,” she growled, breathing heavily as she reached for her handcuffs.

Raunak arrived a few seconds later, his eyes wide with a mix of surprise and relief. “You okay?”

Vidisha nodded, securing the cuffs around the suspect’s wrists. “I’m fine.”

As she stood up, Raunak’s gaze lingered on her for a moment, something unspoken passing between them. It was a brief, fleeting connection—a moment where the friction between them seemed to burn away, leaving only the shared intensity of their work.

But just as quickly, the walls went back up. Raunak looked away, his expression guarded once again. “Good work.”

Vidisha swallowed hard, her heart still racing from the chase. “Yeah. You too.”

Together, they hauled the arsonist to his feet, the weight of their success hanging heavy in the air. But even as they walked back toward the station, Vidisha couldn’t shake the feeling that the fires between them weren’t quite extinguished yet.