Too much traffic between us

The Silent Pull

Vidisha hadn’t slept much since her conversation with Raunak. His words echoed in her mind, breaking her usual focus and composure. She had prided herself on being in control—of her job, her emotions, and her life—but now, everything felt like it was slipping through her fingers.

It wasn’t just the fires or the looming threat of the arsonist. It was him. Raunak.

The thought of him stirred something in her that she’d buried for years. She had never let herself get too close to anyone, especially not in a dangerous, high-pressure environment like firefighting. It was too risky, too messy. She had seen what happened when emotions interfered with duty, and she wasn’t about to let herself become a casualty of her own heart.

Yet, no matter how much she tried to push him away, Raunak was there—in her thoughts, in her dreams, in every breath she took. The silent pull between them was growing stronger, harder to ignore. And it terrified her.

At the station the next morning, the air felt thick with unspoken tension. Vidisha busied herself with paperwork, trying to distract her mind with routine tasks. But her focus was shot, her thoughts constantly drifting back to the man she’d tried so hard to avoid.

Her team noticed the shift in her mood, but no one dared to ask. Vidisha wasn’t the kind of leader who let people in. She was tough, resilient, always one step ahead. But today, even she felt the cracks in her armor.

She was halfway through reviewing the latest reports when Raunak walked into the station. He didn’t make eye contact, didn’t speak to her directly. But his presence filled the room like a shadow, a weight she couldn’t shake.

Vidisha kept her head down, determined not to acknowledge him. She couldn’t afford to get distracted—not now, not when the fires were escalating and her team needed her at her best.

But the silence between them was deafening. Every time he passed by her desk, she could feel his eyes on her, feel the heat of his proximity. It was maddening.

---

That night, Vidisha found herself back at the station, long after everyone else had gone home. The building was quiet, the only sound the ticking of the clock on the wall. She was supposed to be reviewing case files, but her mind was elsewhere—on Raunak, on the tension that had been growing between them like a storm waiting to break.

She didn’t hear him approach until he was standing right behind her.

“Vidisha.”

His voice was low, almost hesitant, but it sent a shiver down her spine. She didn’t turn around, didn’t trust herself to face him.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, her voice sounding more tired than she intended.

“I could ask you the same thing,” Raunak said, moving closer. She could feel the heat of his body, the electric charge in the air between them. “You’ve been avoiding me.”

Vidisha clenched her fists, trying to steady herself. “I’m not avoiding you. I’m working.”

“Are you?” His voice was quiet, but there was an edge to it. “Because it seems like you’ve been trying to avoid a conversation we need to have.”

“I don’t have anything to say.”

Raunak moved around her desk, leaning against it so he could look at her directly. “You’re lying.”

Vidisha finally met his gaze, her heart pounding. “What do you want from me, Raunak? I told you, this—whatever’s going on between us—can’t happen.”

“I know what you said,” he replied, his voice calm but intense. “But I don’t believe you. Not for a second.”

Vidisha stood up, putting distance between them. She couldn’t be near him, not when he was looking at her like that. “You need to stop.”

“Why?” He didn’t move, but his presence seemed to close the gap between them anyway. “Because you’re scared?”

“I’m not scared,” Vidisha snapped, more defensive than she meant to be. “I’m just trying to do my job.”

“And what about us?” Raunak asked, his voice softening. “Are you really going to pretend that nothing’s happening here?”

“There is no ‘us,’ Raunak,” she said, her voice firm but shaky. “We’re colleagues. That’s all.”

Raunak shook his head, stepping closer. “You don’t believe that. I know you don’t.”

Vidisha swallowed hard, feeling the walls around her crumbling. She had spent so long building them up, so long protecting herself from this exact situation. But Raunak was relentless, breaking through her defenses with every word, every look.

“I can’t,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “I can’t risk it.”

“What are you so afraid of?” he asked, his voice gentle now, the intensity fading into something softer, more vulnerable. “Is it the job? The fires? Or is it something else?”

Vidisha looked away, unable to meet his gaze. She couldn’t tell him the truth—that she was afraid of getting hurt, of losing herself in something she couldn’t control. She was afraid of him, of the way he made her feel, of the way her heart seemed to race every time he was near.

“I don’t have time for this,” she muttered, moving to grab her jacket. “I have work to do.”

But Raunak reached out, grabbing her wrist gently, stopping her in her tracks. “Vidisha…”

His touch was warm, grounding her in a way that nothing else could. For a moment, all the noise in her head quieted, leaving only the two of them in the silence of the station.

She looked up at him, her resolve crumbling. His dark eyes were full of something she hadn’t expected—understanding. He wasn’t pushing her, wasn’t demanding anything from her. He was just there, waiting for her to let him in.

And that terrified her more than anything.

“I can’t do this,” she whispered, her voice breaking.

Raunak’s grip on her wrist loosened, but he didn’t let go. “You don’t have to do anything right now. But don’t shut me out.”

Vidisha closed her eyes, feeling the weight of everything pressing down on her. She wanted to push him away, to tell him to leave, but the truth was, she didn’t want him to go. She didn’t want to be alone with the storm brewing inside her.

For the first time in a long time, she felt like she didn’t have to be strong, didn’t have to hold everything together. Raunak was there, steady and solid, offering something she hadn’t realized she needed—understanding.

But that only made it harder.

“I don’t know how to do this,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

Raunak stepped closer, his hand moving from her wrist to her cheek, his touch gentle. “Neither do I. But we’ll figure it out.”

Vidisha opened her eyes, meeting his gaze. The tension between them had shifted, no longer the sharp, biting friction of before, but something softer, more dangerous.

She didn’t pull away when he leaned in, his lips brushing against hers in a slow, tentative kiss. It was like everything else faded away, leaving just the two of them in the quiet of the station, the silent pull between them finally breaking the surface.

For a moment, Vidisha let herself get lost in it, the feel of Raunak’s lips on hers, the warmth of his hand on her face. But then, reality crashed back in, and she pulled away, her heart racing.

“This… this is a mistake,” she whispered, stepping back.

Raunak’s eyes were dark, filled with something she couldn’t quite name. “Maybe,” he said softly. “But it’s not one I regret.”

Vidisha swallowed hard, torn between the desire to run and the desire to stay. But she couldn’t deal with this now, couldn’t let herself fall any deeper.

“I need to go,” she muttered, grabbing her jacket and heading for the door.

Raunak didn’t stop her this time. But as she left the station, she couldn’t shake the feeling that this was far from over.

The silent pull between them was stronger than ever, and no matter how much she tried to fight it, Vidisha knew one thing for sure—she couldn’t outrun it forever.