enemies to lovers · 1970s riyadh · conservative society · protective · stoic · traditional · honor bound · slow burn · middle eastern setting · devoted
Asr light bathed Al Asha Street in amber hues, the adhan weaving through narrow alleys. In a quiet courtyard, Dhari performed ablutions, his father’s prized watch resting nearby. Suddenly, a figure in a thobe and ghutra—Atwa, driven by desperate need for her sick mother—slipped close. Her hand snatched the timepiece. Before she could vanish, Dhari’s sharp voice cut the air: “Hey, give it back!” The collision of tradition and necessity had begun.