Too much traffic between us

Unwelcoming Tension

The following days at the station felt heavier than ever. The successful capture of the arsonist hadn’t brought the relief Vidisha had expected. Instead, it had only fueled a new tension—one that wasn’t just professional but personal.

She tried to focus on the aftermath of the arrest, pouring herself into the investigation and preparing her team for the next potential fire. But Raunak’s presence lingered, a constant reminder of the friction between them. Every time she passed him in the hallway or caught sight of him at a meeting, she felt the pull—the unspoken connection they had shared during the chase.

It was unsettling. She hated that he had wormed his way into her thoughts. Her job required focus and discipline, and Raunak’s brooding presence was a distraction she didn’t need.

In the office, Vidisha sat at her desk, going over the reports from the last fire. The suspect they’d caught wasn’t talking, but the forensic team had found a trove of evidence linking him to other arson attempts around the city. It was only a matter of time before they cracked the case wide open.

But as she tried to concentrate on the case files, her mind kept wandering to the brief moments she and Raunak had shared—his sharp words, the heat of their arguments, and the intensity of that fleeting look after the arrest. She hated how much it consumed her thoughts.

“Vidisha.”

She looked up, startled out of her reverie, only to find Raunak standing at her desk. His voice, though calm, carried an edge. He was holding a file in his hands, his brow furrowed in the same serious manner she had grown used to.

“What?” she asked, her voice a little sharper than intended.

He held out the file. “I wanted to go over this with you.”

She eyed him suspiciously but reached out to take it. “What is it?”

“Medical reports from the fire victims. There are some patterns we might have overlooked.” He spoke in his usual clipped, no-nonsense tone, but there was something different this time—less arrogance, more cooperation.

Vidisha opened the file and flipped through the pages. “Patterns?”

Raunak pulled up a chair and sat across from her, leaning forward as he explained. “It’s not just about the injuries. Look at the timing. Each victim reported strange symptoms just before the fire—nausea, headaches, dizziness. It’s like something triggered the fires at the same time the victims fell ill.”

She frowned, scanning the reports. “You think there’s a connection?”

“I’m not sure yet,” he admitted, his voice low. “But it’s worth looking into. There could be some kind of chemical exposure we’re not aware of.”

For the first time in days, Vidisha felt herself nodding along, intrigued by what he was saying. “You might be onto something.”

The tension between them shifted subtly, becoming less hostile and more professional. For a moment, it felt like they were back in sync, working toward the same goal without the emotional friction that had plagued them before.

But just as quickly, the unease crept back in.

As Raunak leaned closer, their arms brushed, and Vidisha felt her pulse quicken. She glanced at him, her breath catching in her throat as she realized how close they were. His dark eyes met hers, and for a second, the world outside the station seemed to blur, leaving just the two of them.

“Vidisha,” Raunak murmured, his voice dropping lower.

She didn’t know what he was going to say next, but she could feel the weight of the moment pressing in on them. Her heart raced, her mind screaming at her to break the tension, to move away from him before things went too far.

“I—”

The sound of a door slamming broke the spell, and Vidisha snapped her head up to see Detective Rathi walking into the room, his face set in a grim expression.

“Pradhan, Raunak,” Rathi called out. “We need you both in the conference room. We’ve got another fire.”

Vidisha shot to her feet, the moment between her and Raunak forgotten in the rush of urgency. She grabbed her jacket and followed Rathi out of the office, Raunak close behind her.

---

The scene at the fire was chaotic. Smoke billowed from a building on the outskirts of the city, the flames licking at the sky as firefighters battled to contain the blaze. It wasn’t just any fire—it was an apartment complex, with residents still trapped inside.

Vidisha’s heart sank as she took in the scope of the disaster. This was bigger than any of the previous fires. The arsonist wasn’t just escalating; they were becoming more reckless, more dangerous.

She didn’t have time to think about Raunak or the tension simmering between them. All that mattered now was saving lives.

“Team, suit up!” Vidisha barked at her crew, pulling on her own gear with practiced efficiency. She turned to Raunak, who was already on his phone, coordinating with paramedics. “How many injured?”

“Too many,” he said, his voice tight with frustration. “We’ve got ambulances on the way, but we need to move fast.”

Vidisha nodded, her mind shifting into high gear. She gave her team the signal, and they moved in, ready to do what they did best.

As they fought their way through the building, the heat was intense, the smoke choking. Vidisha led her team with precision, clearing the lower floors first, searching for anyone who might still be trapped.

They found several residents, some barely conscious from the smoke, others injured from the collapse of parts of the building. Vidisha carried a young girl out of the rubble, her heart aching at the sight of the child’s terror-stricken face.

Outside, Raunak was waiting, directing paramedics to the victims. His face was grim as he worked, his usual aloofness replaced by a sharp focus that matched Vidisha’s own.

As Vidisha emerged from the building, covered in soot and sweat, she handed the girl off to Raunak. For a brief second, their hands touched, and Vidisha felt the now-familiar jolt of electricity between them.

“Good work,” Raunak said, his voice soft but genuine.

Vidisha nodded, too exhausted to respond. There was no room for tension now, no room for the complicated emotions that swirled between them. All that mattered was the fire and the lives they were saving.

But as they stood there, watching the flames rage in the distance, Vidisha couldn’t help but wonder how much longer they could keep ignoring the growing fire between them.