Too much traffic between us

After The Fire

The city had barely begun to recover from the last fire when the next one struck. A pattern was emerging—fires erupting in seemingly random locations, but each one escalating in danger and destruction. The arsonist was growing bolder, and it was clear now that they were playing a dangerous game, pushing the city and its protectors to the brink.

Vidisha felt the weight of it all pressing down on her as she sat in the fire station’s briefing room. The maps spread before her showed the locations of the fires, with lines drawn between them in a desperate attempt to discern a pattern. But the arsonist was clever, and every time they thought they were close, the fire would spring up somewhere unexpected.

Raunak was beside her, his sharp gaze focused on the reports. He had barely spoken since the last fire, the exhaustion clear in the set of his jaw and the dark circles under his eyes. They had agreed to talk, but the constant chaos had left them little time to address their personal turmoil. Instead, they poured themselves into the work, hoping to stay ahead of the next disaster.

As the chief entered the room and began the briefing, Vidisha tried to focus, but her mind kept wandering to Raunak. The tension between them was becoming unbearable. Every glance, every accidental touch, sent her heart racing, and she could sense that he was feeling the same. But they couldn’t afford any distractions. Not now.

“We’ve got a lead,” the chief announced, drawing everyone’s attention. “The investigators found traces of accelerant at the last site. It’s the same type used in the earlier fires. Whoever is doing this is methodical, but they’re getting sloppy.”

Vidisha sat up straighter. Finally, they had something concrete. “What kind of accelerant?” she asked.

“Gasoline mixed with some kind of industrial solvent,” the chief replied. “We’re running tests to pinpoint the exact composition, but it’s a start. We might be able to trace it to a supplier.”

Raunak leaned in, his brow furrowed. “If we can narrow down where they’re getting the materials, we could start surveilling those areas. Maybe catch them in the act.”

The chief nodded. “That’s the plan. We’re coordinating with the police to set up a sting operation. But we need to be careful. Whoever this is, they’re dangerous, and they’re escalating.”

Vidisha felt a flicker of hope. Maybe they were finally closing in on the arsonist. But as the meeting continued, the weight of everything they had been through hung heavily over her. The city might be on the verge of a breakthrough, but her personal life was falling apart, and the strain of keeping it all together was starting to show.

After the briefing, as the team dispersed, Vidisha turned to Raunak. “Can we talk now?”

He hesitated, glancing around the room as if weighing his options. “Yeah,” he said finally. “Let’s go somewhere private.”

They walked out of the station and found a quiet spot near the back of the building, away from the hustle and noise. The air was thick with the smell of smoke from the nearby training ground, but it felt oddly comforting, familiar.

Raunak leaned against the wall, his arms crossed, his gaze fixed on the ground. “What do you want to say?”

Vidisha took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts. “This can’t go on, Raunak. We’re pretending nothing’s happening between us, but it is. It’s affecting everything—our work, our lives. We can’t just keep ignoring it.”

He looked up at her, his expression conflicted. “I know. But what are we supposed to do? We’re in the middle of an investigation. The city’s depending on us. We can’t afford to be distracted.”

“I’m not saying we need to act on it right now,” Vidisha said, frustration creeping into her voice. “But we need to acknowledge it. We need to figure out what this is before it destroys us both.”

Raunak pushed off the wall, pacing in agitation. “It’s not that simple, Vidisha. You know it’s not. You and I… we’re from two different worlds. I’m a doctor. You’re a firefighter. We have responsibilities, obligations. If we cross this line, there’s no going back.”

Vidisha’s heart ached at his words, but she couldn’t deny the truth in them. They were both bound by their duties, by the oaths they had taken to protect others. But her feelings for him were undeniable, and the thought of losing him—of never exploring what could be—was unbearable.

“So, what are you saying?” she asked quietly. “That we should just walk away?”

Raunak stopped pacing and faced her, his eyes filled with anguish. “I’m saying we need to be careful. If we let this get out of control, it could ruin everything we’ve worked for.”

“I don’t want to ruin anything,” Vidisha said, her voice trembling. “But I can’t keep pretending that I don’t feel something for you.”

The silence between them was heavy, charged with unspoken emotions. For a moment, Raunak just stared at her, his expression unreadable. Then, with a sigh, he closed the distance between them, his hand gently brushing her arm.

“I feel it too,” he admitted softly. “I’ve been trying to fight it, to push it down, but it’s there. And it’s getting harder to ignore.”

Vidisha’s heart skipped a beat at his confession. She had known, deep down, that he felt something for her, but hearing him say it out loud made it real in a way it hadn’t been before.

“But we can’t let it control us,” he continued, his voice firm. “Not while we’re in the middle of this investigation. We need to stay focused.”

“I know,” Vidisha whispered, her emotions swirling inside her. “But what happens after?”

Raunak didn’t answer right away. He seemed to be searching for the right words, his gaze drifting to the horizon as if the answers lay somewhere out there. Finally, he turned back to her, his expression resolute.

“After,” he said quietly, “we’ll figure it out. Together.”

Vidisha nodded, a sense of calm settling over her. It wasn’t the resolution she had hoped for, but it was a start. They had acknowledged the feelings between them, and that was something. For now, they would focus on the task at hand, but the promise of a future—of figuring it out—gave her the strength to keep going.

As they stood there, the sounds of the city around them, Vidisha felt a glimmer of hope. The walls may have been closing in, but they weren’t impenetrable. Together, they could find a way out.