The music from the party still echoed faintly in Iram's ears as she stumbled along the empty street. Midnight had long passed, and the city had fallen into that strange silence that exists between night and morning — when the world feels paused, as if holding its breath.
The cold air brushed against her flushed cheeks, but it did little to clear her mind. She had drunk far more than she intended to. The laughter, the flashing lights, the pretending — it had all become too much, and the alcohol had felt like the easiest escape. Now regret followed her with every unsteady step.
Streetlights stretched along the road, casting pale golden circles on the pavement. Her heels clicked unevenly as she walked, one hand clutching her jacket while the other tried to keep her balance against the wall beside her.
Her thoughts were messy, tangled between memories she wished to forget and emotions she refused to understand.
"Why did I even go…" she murmured to herself, her voice barely louder than the wind.
Just as she turned the corner, a familiar figure appeared ahead.
At first, her blurred vision refused to recognize him. A tall silhouette stood beneath a streetlight, hands tucked casually into his pockets. The glow revealed sharp features and an expression that looked both surprised and amused.
Iram froze.
Alex.
Of all people.
Her enemy.
The last person she wanted to see — especially like this.
He raised an eyebrow, clearly noticing her unsteady posture. "Well," he said calmly, his voice cutting through the quiet night, "this is unexpected."
Iram straightened instantly, attempting to regain whatever dignity she had left. "What are you doing here?" she asked, though her words slightly slurred despite her effort to sound confident.
Alex stepped closer, studying her carefully. "I could ask you the same question. You don't look like someone who should be walking alone right now."
I'm perfectly fine," she insisted, taking a step forward — only to lose her balance for a brief second.
Before she could fall, Alex reached out instinctively, steadying her by the arm.
The contact lasted only a moment, but it felt strangely longer.
She pulled away quickly, annoyed — not at him, but at herself. "Don't touch me."
He sighed softly. "Relax. I was stopping you from falling."
"I wasn't going to fall."
"You were," he replied plainly.
The irritation between them was familiar, almost comforting. They had never agreed on anything. From the first day they met, arguments came naturally — sharp words, competitive tension, and an unspoken rivalry neither of them fully understood.
Yet tonight felt different.
Maybe it was the silence of the streets. Maybe it was the vulnerability alcohol had stripped from her defenses. Or maybe it was the way Alex wasn't arguing back the way he usually did.
Instead, he looked… concerned.
"You shouldn't be alone this late," he said after a pause. "Let me walk you home."
Iram laughed weakly. "I don't need your help."
"Clearly."
She shot him an angry look, but her exhaustion betrayed her. The world spun slightly, and she closed her eyes for a second, steadying herself.
Alex noticed.
For once, he didn't tease her.
He simply waited.
The distance between them felt smaller than it ever had before — not because they had become friends, but because something unspoken lingered in the air. Years of annoyance, misunderstandings, and hidden emotions seemed to hover quietly between them.
"Iram," he said more gently this time, "just let me help. You can go back to hating me tomorrow."
She hesitated.
Part of her wanted to argue, to prove she didn't need anyone — especially him. But another part, the tired and honest part she usually kept hidden, felt relieved at the idea of not walking alone.
Without meeting his eyes, she finally nodded.
"Fine," she muttered. "But don't think this changes anything."
A faint smile appeared on Alex's face. "Wouldn't dream of it."
They began walking side by side under the dim streetlights, their footsteps echoing softly in the quiet night. Neither of them spoke for a while, yet the silence wasn't uncomfortable.
For the first time, their rivalry felt less like hatred and more like something neither of them was ready to name.
And somewhere between blurred thoughts and guarded hearts, Iram didn't realize that this unexpected midnight encounter would become the beginning of a story she would later struggle to separate from illusion — a love that felt real, even when it wasn't.
A delusional love.