Too much traffic between us

Into The Flames

The morning after the fire was eerily quiet. The sun cast long shadows over the charred remains of the apartment complex, its golden light a stark contrast to the destruction left behind. Vidisha stood at the edge of the scene, hands shoved deep into her jacket pockets as she surveyed the aftermath. The smell of burnt wood and ash still lingered in the air, a constant reminder of what they had failed to prevent.

She had come back early, well before the investigation team arrived, needing to see the place in the cold light of day. Something about standing in the remnants of the fire’s destruction, in the quiet after the chaos, always helped her think. She was restless, and her instincts were screaming that something wasn’t right.

As much as she wanted to dismiss Raunak’s words from the night before, they gnawed at her. Could they have done more? Could they have saved more lives? His critical tone still echoed in her head, though she tried to shake it off. It wasn’t her job to deal with doctors who thought they had all the answers. She had enough on her plate without letting some arrogant trauma surgeon get under her skin.

Still, his words lingered like the smoke.

The sound of footsteps on the cracked pavement pulled her from her thoughts. She turned to see a familiar figure walking toward her, clipboard in hand, eyes locked on the remains of the building.

Raunak.

Of course.

Vidisha groaned internally. Of all the people she could run into this morning, it had to be him.

Raunak didn’t seem to notice her right away, his focus entirely on the scene in front of him. His brows were furrowed, deep in thought, as if he was analyzing the ruins the same way he would a patient’s vitals. Vidisha’s irritation flared again, though she couldn’t fully explain why. It wasn’t just his criticism from last night—there was something about the way he carried himself, the quiet intensity in his eyes that set her on edge.

He finally glanced in her direction, his expression unreadable as their eyes met once again.

“You’re here early,” he said, his tone neutral. No greeting. No small talk. Just straight to the point.

Vidisha crossed her arms, trying to keep her voice steady. “Could say the same for you, Doc. What brings you back?”

Raunak didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he looked back at the wreckage, his face thoughtful. “I came to check on the scene. I’ve been following the investigation closely. I’m trying to understand why this keeps happening.”

“Why what keeps happening?” Vidisha asked, though she already knew the answer.

“These fires,” Raunak said, turning back to her. His voice was low but firm. “This is the fourth one in the last two months. The patterns are too similar to ignore.”

Vidisha raised an eyebrow. “You’re a doctor, not an investigator. Why do you care?”

Raunak’s jaw tightened slightly, but he didn’t rise to her bait. “Because every time there’s a fire like this, people end up in my trauma unit. People who shouldn’t have to be there in the first place.”

The weight of his words hung in the air between them. Vidisha glanced at the building again, the twisted steel and blackened beams, the lives that had been upended by this blaze. She knew what he meant, but it didn’t make her any less frustrated.

“Believe me, I don’t like seeing people hurt either,” Vidisha said, her voice softer now, despite herself. “But fires happen. It’s part of the job.”

Raunak’s eyes narrowed slightly, as if weighing her words carefully. “Maybe. But this isn’t just bad luck. These fires are deliberate. Someone is doing this, and they won’t stop until more people are hurt.”

Vidisha swallowed hard, the truth of his statement hitting her square in the chest. He was right. She had known it since last night, but hearing it aloud from someone else made it feel all the more real. Whoever was behind these fires wasn’t just careless—they were dangerous.

“Detective Rathi said something similar last night,” Vidisha admitted, her tone reluctant. “He thinks it’s arson too.”

Raunak nodded, his expression grim. “Then we’re all on the same page. The question is—why? And how do we stop it before more lives are lost?”

Vidisha had no answers for him. As much as she wanted to help, this wasn’t her area of expertise. She was trained to fight fires, to rescue people in the middle of disaster—not to solve mysteries. That was the police’s job. And yet, something about Raunak’s determination made her pause. He wasn’t just another outsider poking his nose into something he didn’t understand. He seemed genuinely invested in finding out the truth.

A beat of silence passed between them before Raunak spoke again, his voice quieter this time.

“I know we didn’t get off on the right foot yesterday,” he said, glancing down at the ground before meeting her eyes again. “But I’m not your enemy. We both want the same thing—to save people. I’m just…trying to figure out how we can do that better.”

Vidisha felt a pang of guilt, remembering how she had lashed out at him the night before. Maybe she had been too quick to judge. He wasn’t just some arrogant doctor looking to place blame—he was trying to help, in his own way.

“Look,” she said, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly. “I’m sorry I snapped at you yesterday. It was a long night, and…I don’t know. I just didn’t appreciate the criticism.”

Raunak gave a small nod, his expression softening slightly. “I get it. I wasn’t trying to undermine what you do. You and your team are doing everything you can. I just want to find a way to make sure fewer people end up on my table.”

Vidisha let out a slow breath, feeling some of the tension ease between them. Maybe they weren’t so different after all. They were both trying to save lives, just from different angles. She could respect that.

“Well,” she said, offering him a tentative smile, “if you’re so eager to help, maybe you should join us on the front lines next time. See how it’s done up close.”

Raunak chuckled softly, the first sign of real warmth she’d seen from him. “I’ll leave that to the professionals, thanks.”

“Good call,” Vidisha said, her smile widening just a bit. “You wouldn’t last five minutes.”

Their brief moment of levity was cut short by the sound of an approaching vehicle. Vidisha turned to see Detective Rathi stepping out of an unmarked car, his expression as serious as ever. He spotted them and made his way over, wasting no time in getting to the point.

“We’ve got a lead,” Rathi said, his voice gruff but urgent. “The accelerants we found at the scene—they match ones used in another fire six months ago. Same method, same result.”

Vidisha’s heart skipped a beat. “You think it’s the same person?”

Rathi nodded grimly. “It’s highly likely. Whoever’s behind this is getting bolder. We need to move fast before they strike again.”

Raunak and Vidisha exchanged a glance, the weight of the situation pressing down on both of them. This wasn’t just about cleaning up the aftermath anymore. They were caught in the middle of something far more dangerous than either of them had anticipated.

“We’ll help in any way we can,” Raunak said firmly, surprising Vidisha with his immediate offer. He wasn’t just a doctor—he was determined to get to the bottom of this.

Rathi gave a curt nod before heading off to brief the rest of the investigation team. Vidisha watched him go, her mind racing. Things were escalating, and fast. And now, whether she liked it or not, she was tangled up in this mess—with Raunak right there beside her.

As the sun climbed higher in the sky, casting harsh light over the ruins, Vidisha realized one thing was certain: this was far from over. And the fire that had sparked between her and Raunak might just burn as hot as the flames they were chasing.