A/N:

As the title suggests, this fic focuses solely on the one-sided attractions of the members of the CID team.

It is going to be a series of one shots-with each chapter based on a different character.

..

Back to this chapter: Abhijeet-Tarika shippers you have been warned-go back right now. Especially Tarika worshippers-you may not like someone else crushing on her man Abhijeet.

Rest all, who would not mind reading are welcomed.

Credits for concept of the story and title go to the ever-amazing Ori Di.

Song credits- Superman by Taylor Swift

...

~Of flirtations and feelings~

All the music in the room could not peel off the thoughts stuck to her mind ever since the afternoon. The conference was over, and it was the time for the party. Now, Dr. Niyati Pradhan was usually the soul of a party. If anyone could add sparkle to a party attended by forensic doctors from all over the country, it was her. But at the given moment, she could be found seated at her table smiling at her glass of juice. Absent-mindedly, she was twirling the straw, the same moment replaying in her mind.

It was late afternoon; too humid to roam out on the front lawn of the conference hall. The conference itself had ended some time ago and a famished Dr. Niyati had decided to grab an ice-cream. As she was waiting for the cool dessert to arrive, she acknowledged the group of doctors sitting on a nearby table. Most of the group included elderly doctors except for a girl and a boy who looked quite young.

She hadn't particularly noticed them until the girl had said out (loud) "Oh my God, you are so adorable! I really like you, you know?" with a cheeky wide grin, and had moved forward to pull his cheek affectionately. Dr. Niyati had turned her head in time to see the boy flush, obviously uncomfortable at the flirtation in front of the senior doctors.

A wide grin appeared on Dr. Niyati's face as her mind took her back to the time when a similar scene had happened at the forensic lab with herself and Abhijeet.

She could not resist a hearty laugh. Opening her mind to that one memory seemed to invite the rest; for all her times she spent at the bureau with him, came wheezing in.

She could not recollect a specific time when she fell for him; it just happened. Somewhere during those teasings, which started out as just a trick to get Dr. Salunkhe and ACP Pradyuman into thunderous moods, she had started to mean it. The pleasure she got, after seeing his flushed face, that embarrassed smile, it was undefinable.

At first, she had flirted with him, just to get the priceless reactions from everyone. She was not ashamed to admit that she was the sort of person who enjoyed making everyone around her blush and emabarrass them and then grin her teeth out in front of 'em. She, being blessed with the laidback attitude did not give it much thought.

But now as she thought upon it, why had she chosen him? Of all the people in the bureau, why him? There was the ever-charming Daya, the cute Vivek, Freddy-or teddy bear as she liked to call him; heck, there was even Dr. Salunkhe. She wouldn't have minded to shower Dr. Salunkhe with praises everytime he found something helping in the investigation, to the point he was driven up the wall.

But no, right from the moment he had walked into the bureau for the first time, she had known it was him. There was something about his serious 'I-am-at-work' attitude, his refusal to speak or hear a word against his seniors (with a mere excpetion of DCP Chitrole) and his commitment to his duty.

She was intrigued by him, right from the start. But she had dismissed it as a casual intrest. Later on, it had turned out to be something much bigger than she had expected it to.

As she sat in her chair, a thousand memories running crazily in her mind, she decided that it was the best time to think about it.

The music in the room did not bother her. Having worked at the CID Mumbai forensic lab, a place where not a day passed without the bickering of the seniors of the lab and bureau, she was used to keeping her cool in a chaos.

Tall, dark and superman

He puts papers in his briefcase and drives away

To save the world, or go to work

She was not exactly head over heals for him. Nah, that was saying too much. But she had fell hard for him. She taken by his charming personality-something that had gained him quite a large female fan following-of which he was totally unaware.

The first time, she'd praised him out loud, the poor thing had turned into a stammering mess; courtesy, the look on ACP Pradyuman's face. But, he started to reply with a smile as he realized that the flirtations were just for the heck of it.

He did not take it seriously, niether had she taken it the other way round. But sometime during all those teasings, she had realized that she actually liked him. The way he was ever ready for his duty, to help anyone. She felt proud of him whenever he solved a case or made any progress in the investigation.

And it was a feat he had achieved after he had lost his memory. Making a complete new beginning. In the middle of your life, without having the faintest of your identity? That was something she respected immensly.

I watched Superman fly away
You've got a busy day today
Go save the world
I'll be around

She did not regret never telling. It had taken a while for herself to get the facts correct, but even after she had realized her feelings, she continued to be the same Dr. Niyati Pradhan, flirting with him in th lab, pulling his cheek and teasing him.

That was the reason, no one ever knew. Everyone just thought that she never meant any of the things she said to him. They had been wise enough to ignore the dramatic scenes in the lab as soon as they realized that they were on the list of her daily-to-do-pranks chart.

At that point of time in his life, he did not need any other thing apart from his dedication to his duty. She had been smart enough to acknowledge that. And she let it be.

The time anyone praised him, the time he seemed happy-those moments made her feel a genuine happiness somehow. She was always proud of him-a silent well-wisher.

She doubted whether anyone would take her seriously if she had voiced her affection for him. They would waver it off as her prank. And she never took the efforts to find out.

You'll smile and say "How are you?"
And I'll say, "Just fine"
I always forget to tell you I love you
I'll love you forever

In a way, his diligence had inspired her. She began to take her work even more seriously. She knew how he hated when anyone gossiped about someone. He was of the opinion that if you had the guts to say something behind a person's back, use the courage and tell it to his face. And she had taken it seriously. It had been hard to let go of her gossiping nature but now, she was proud to say that she did not gossip. Hey, DCP Chitrole was a natural exception, mind you.

But she had become a better person. He had actually influenced her to bring out the better part of her-unknowingly. And she did not ever want to let him know either. She was thankful for the time he had given her-again unknowingly-to love him.

Did not matter that he was blissfully unaware about her side of affections. She was content with loving his from afar.

Because there is always that one love to give. It does not necessarly have to be the last; it may or may not. But it brings out the best in you, teaches you and more importantly, gives you a lifetime worth's memories to treasure.

...

A/N:

I know, it was not up to the mark. This has been written in extreme hurry and apologies if it did not match up to the expectations.

Suggestions about characters are welcomed-whether to write is my decision. And just remember, this is strictly one sided.

Whether or not the second person in concern reciprocates the feelings, I leave up to the readers.

Thanks for reading!