Adway and the Stranger
The night was wrapped in an unsettling silence.
The streets of tier 2 city were nearly deserted, washed in the pale yellow glow of streetlights. Every few minutes, a car passed through the empty road, its headlights briefly cutting through the darkness before disappearing around the corner.
Inside his black sedan, Adway Bijlani sat behind the wheel, his expression unreadable.
His eyes were on the road... But his mind was somewhere else.
His fingers tightened around the steering wheel as another unwanted memory surfaced.
A face.
A voice.
A promise.
A goodbye he had never been ready for.
Adway clenched his jaw.
Not tonight.
He had spent years learning how to live with silence.
How to sleep in an empty apartment.
How to return to a home where no one waited for him.
How to smile in front of thousands of people while keeping his own wounds carefully hidden.
He's a writer. People knew him for the words he wrote about love, loss, loneliness, and hope. Ironically, Adway had stopped believing in most of them himself.
Suddenly a cold breeze entered through the slightly open window. He closed it. And then— Something ahead caught his attention. Adway frowned. There was someone standing on the bridge. At first, he thought it was just a shadow. Then the headlights illuminated the figure.
A young man. He was wearing simple white pajamas, his dark hair disheveled by the wind. He stood dangerously close to the railing.
Too close.
Adway's eyes narrowed.
The young man wasn't looking at the railing. He was looking down. Into the darkness beneath the bridge.
Something inside Adway immediately tightened.
"No..."
The young man took another step.
Adway's heart slammed against his ribs.
"What the hell is he doing?"
He hit the brakes. The tires screeched violently against the asphalt.
Adway threw open the driver's door and ran.
"Hey!"
The stranger didn't react.
"Wait!"
Nothing.
Adway ran faster. The young man had already placed one hand on the railing.
"Don't!"
His voice echoed through the empty bridge.
The stranger finally turned right. And for a moment— Adway forgot to breathe.
Their eyes met. The young man's eyes were swollen and red. There were tears running silently down his face.
But there was no panic in them.
No anger.
No hesitation.
Only an unbearable emptiness.
Adway had seen sadness before. He had written about it. He had spoken about it.
But he'd never seen someone look at death as if it were simply another door.
"Listen to me," Adway said, slowing down.
The stranger stared at him.
"You don't know me," Adway continued. "I don't know you either." His breathing was heavy from running. "But whatever happened to you tonight..." He took another careful step. "...you don't have to end your life because of it."
The stranger's lips trembled. "You don't understand." His voice was barely audible.
Adway stopped. "You're right."
The honesty seemed to surprise the stranger.
"I don't understand." Adway swallowed. "But I can listen."
The young man's eyes flickered. For one second, something almost human returned to them. Then he looked away.
"I'm tired."
The two words came out broken.
Adway's chest tightened. "I know." The stranger looked back at him.Adway didn't know why he'd said it. Maybe because he did know. Not his exact pain. But the exhaustion. The kind that made waking up feel like punishment. The kind that made silence louder than screaming.
The stranger slowly closed his eyes. "Please..." He whispered. "Just let me go."
Adway's blood ran cold.
"No."
The stranger leaned forward.
Adway moved. He reached him just in time, grabbing his arm and pulling him backward with all his strength. The sudden movement sent both of them crashing onto the concrete. For a few seconds, neither moved.
Adway's breathing was ragged. Then he looked down. The stranger was lying against his chest. His head had fallen against Adway's shoulder. His fingers were still gripping Adway's shirt unconsciously. Adway froze. The young man's body was trembling. Not violently. Just enough for Adway to feel it.
"Hey..." His voice softened. "You're safe."
The stranger didn't answer.
Adway slowly slipped an arm behind his back. Only then did he realize how cold he was.
Freezing.
His fingers brushed against the stranger's cheek.
Cold skin.
Wet eyelashes.
A tear still resting near the corner of his eye.
Adway's thumb stopped. For a strange second, he found himself staring. Not because the man was beautiful.That wasn't what unsettled him. It was the vulnerability on his face. The complete absence of defenses.
Adway knew that expression. He had seen it once before.
In a mirror.
Years ago.
The stranger's eyes fluttered open. They met Adway's. Neither looked away. Something unfamiliar passed between them. Attraction... Not yet. Something quieter. A strange recognition. As if two wounded people had somehow recognized the same loneliness in each other.
The stranger's eyes slowly closed again.
"Hey." Adway gently tapped his cheek. "Open your eyes." No response. "Come on." He shook him lightly. Nothing. "Shit." Panic replaced everything else. Adway looked around the empty bridge. There was no one.
No help.
No time.
He carefully lifted the unconscious man into his arms. The stranger's head instinctively rested against his chest.
Adway stiffened. He could feel the faint warmth of his breath against his neck. For reasons he couldn't explain, that tiny sensation made his heart beat faster. He ignored it.
He’s just an exhausted stranger, Adway reminded himself. Get a grip.
He carried him toward the car. The drive to his apartment was silent. Adway kept glancing at the passenger seat. He gently covered the stranger with his own jacket. Beneath it, the stranger lay quietly, his face turned toward the window. Streetlights passed over his features. For a brief second, his face appeared in the golden light. Then disappeared into darkness.
Again.
And again.
Adway found himself watching him longer than he should have.
Who are you?
The question repeated in his mind.
And what happened to you?
He tightened his grip on the steering wheel. He had no idea why he was bringing a complete stranger home.
He should take him to a hospital....
He should call the police....
He knew that.
But something stopped him.
Maybe it was the way the stranger had looked at him.
Maybe it was those broken words—" I'm tired."
Or maybe Adway simply couldn't leave someone alone after watching them almost disappear.
To be continued....
Author’s Note ❤️
This is where our story begins… 🥀 A lonely night, a broken stranger, and Adway, who has no idea that this one encounter is about to change his life forever. But who is this stranger, and what happened to him that made him give up on life? 👀
Do you think Adway really saved a stranger that night… or did he unknowingly bring a new chapter into his own life? ✨
Tell me your thoughts in the comments, and don’t forget to Like, Share & Vote. ❤️
Your votes help me know how much you’re enjoying my story and keep me motivated to bring you the next chapter! ✨
