Twin Inferno

9.first date or final date?

Siya's POV

It had become routine now-Rudra waiting for me outside the office every day. At first, it made me nervous. I couldn't quite understand why someone like him, powerful and intimidating, would want to help me. I kept telling myself that I didn't need his help, that I could manage on my own, but each time I saw his car parked outside, my resolve melted a little more.

It wasn't just the rides. Rudra had this way of making me feel... safe. Despite his rough edges, there was a softness in his gaze when he looked at me. It was confusing and unexpected, but slowly, I found myself looking forward to seeing him every day.

Today was no different. As I walked out of the building, I saw him leaning against his car, arms crossed, sunglasses shielding his eyes, looking effortlessly cool. My heart did that annoying little flutter again, and I cursed myself for it. I shouldn't be falling for him, but I couldn't help it.

"Hey," I greeted, my voice softer than I intended.

"Hey," he replied, opening the passenger door for me. "Ready to go?"

I nodded, slipping into the car. The familiar hum of the engine as he started it was comforting, and I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. He was focused on the road, but his hand rested casually on the gearshift, just inches away from mine.

"So," he started, breaking the silence after a few minutes of driving. "I was thinking... maybe we could go out sometime. You know, just the two of us."

I froze, my mind racing. Was he asking me out? Like... on a date? I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry. "Out? Like... a date?"

He smirked, clearly amused by my reaction. "Yeah, like a date. What do you think?"

My cheeks burned, and I quickly turned to face the window, trying to hide how flustered I felt. "I... uh, sure. That sounds nice."

I could feel his gaze on me for a second, the amusement in his eyes making my stomach do flips. "Alright then. How about tomorrow night?"

"Okay," I replied, still feeling a bit out of my element. "Tomorrow."

---

The next evening, I found myself standing in front of my closet, completely unsure of what to wear. My hands hovered over different dresses, none of them feeling quite right for this date.

This *date*. I was going on a date with Rudra.

The thought made my stomach churn with nervous excitement. After what felt like forever, I settled on a simple black dress and grabbed my coat, hoping I didn't look too overdone.

When I stepped outside, Rudra was waiting by his car again, looking sharp in a dark jacket and jeans. He grinned when he saw me, and the butterflies in my stomach went into overdrive.

"You look... amazing," he said, his voice lower than usual.

"Thanks," I murmured, feeling my cheeks heat up again.

We drove in comfortable silence, the tension between us electric but not uncomfortable. It wasn't long before we pulled up at a cozy little restaurant tucked away from the main streets. It was warm and intimate inside, with dim lighting and soft music playing in the background. The kind of place you wouldn't expect someone like Rudra to pick.

"I thought we could do something quieter," he said as we were seated. "Away from the chaos."

I nodded, appreciating the gesture. There was something about this side of Rudra that made my heart soften-a gentleness I hadn't expected from him.

As we waited for our food, the conversation flowed more easily than I thought it would. We talked about everything-work, life, even silly things like our favorite movies. He wasn't the intimidating guy I'd initially thought he was. There was humor in his words, warmth in his eyes. Every little detail about him fascinated me.

And every time he smiled, I felt my heart skip a beat.

It was during dessert when things shifted. We were both laughing about something ridiculous when I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye. I turned to see Esha walking toward us, her eyes narrowing slightly as she spotted me sitting across from Rudra.

My breath hitched in my throat, panic rising. I wasn't sure why, but something about her presence made me feel... uneasy.

She approached our table with a smile, but I could see the way her eyes darted between us. "Hi, Siya. Rudra."

"Esha," Rudra acknowledged, his voice neutral.

I forced a smile, trying to hide my sudden discomfort. "Hey, Esha."

"Nice to see you both here," she said, her tone sweet but with an edge I couldn't quite place. "Enjoying dinner?"

I nodded quickly, feeling suddenly exposed under her gaze. "Yeah. We are."

"Good," she replied, her eyes lingering on Rudra for just a second longer before she smiled again, this time with more sincerity. "Well, I'll leave you two to it. Have a great night."

With that, she walked away, leaving behind a strange tension in the air. I glanced at Rudra, who was watching her leave with an unreadable expression.

"You okay?" I asked quietly.

He blinked, then looked back at me, the softness returning to his eyes. "Yeah. Don't worry about her."

But I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to the way Esha had looked at him-at *us*. I tried to push it aside, not wanting to ruin the night. But as the evening wore on, I couldn't help but wonder if I was stepping into something much more complicated than I realized.

---

As Rudra drove me home, the silence between us felt different. Comfortable, but with an undercurrent of something... more. When we finally pulled up outside my apartment, he turned to me, his eyes searching mine.

"Thanks for tonight," I said softly, not quite ready for it to end.

He smiled, a small, genuine smile that made my heart flutter again. "Anytime."

For a moment, we just sat there, the space between us crackling with unspoken words. I wanted to say something, to express how I felt, but the words wouldn't come. Instead, I just smiled back, the warmth in his gaze making me feel things I wasn't ready to admit.

As I got out of the car, I glanced back at him one last time. He gave me a small nod, and I knew-I wasn't just imagining things.

There was something real between us. And I couldn't wait to see where it went.