Kidnapped by the Arab

After a while, Aisha and Ahmed were sitting side by side, hesitating to move, avoiding each other’s gaze. There was tension in the air. They were used to sleeping together, but just sleeping.

Ahmed feared that if he tried to get closer, she would reject him. Aisha, on the other hand, was afraid that if she agreed to be with him or took the first step, he would consider her easy. Besides, her first-time memory was very painful. Their thoughts were interrupted by insistent knocking on the door.

“Ahmed, my son, you don’t intend to keep us waiting here all night. Can we come in now?”

Ahmed blushed upon hearing his mother’s words. Was she trying to embarrass him that night?

“Ahmed, what should we do?” Aisha broke the silence between them.

He took a small vial from his pocket containing a red, viscous liquid.

“My sister gave me this vial of blood. I’ll pour it over the beddings. Tonight, I’ll teach my mother and aunts a lesson, and I hope you’ll help me.”

“I don’t know what’s going on, but I trust you. Go ahead.”

He ruffled the bed sheets, then poured the contents of the vial over them, concentrating in the center to make it look more convincing. He started rhythmically banging the headboard against the wall, and Aisha understood what was going on. She began to moan loudly. Ahmed increased the rhythm of the knocks, and Aisha moaned and screamed even louder. They couldn’t contain their laughter. They would love to see the women’s faces.

“Ahmed, son, it’s too much noise. You’re doing it too forcefully. By Allah, the audacity of these young people,” one of the women there said, blushing with embarrassment.

“We’d better leave. It’s quite evident that they have consummated the marriage. There’s no need for us to go in. Ask your son to give us the bedsheet to finish this,” another woman said.

“Honey, open the door slightly and give them the bedsheet. There’s no need for us to enter.”

Ahmed and Aisha burst out laughing. Ahmed went into the bathroom, took off his clothes, and wrapped a towel around his waist, ensuring that the women wouldn’t see him like that, but it’s what they deserved.

Aisha lay on the bed and covered herself with one of the sheets left there. Ahmed opened the door just enough for the women to see his naked body, then threw the sheet over one of the chairs and closed the door again, leaving the women astonished. They took the sheet and hurriedly left.

In the palace room, the couple was laughing heartily.

“If only you could’ve seen their faces! It was something to remember, hahaha.”

“Hahaha, they’ll think twice before reviving old traditions.”

After that, absolute silence fell between them. Aisha quickly went to the bathroom; her personal belongings had already been moved there. In the dressing room, she looked for something comfortable to sleep in. When she came out, Ahmed was already in his pajamas. Neither of them dared to take things further, not because they didn’t want to, but because they wanted to get to know each other as a couple.

Ahmed felt that despite what had happened between them, he needed to win her over to be worthy of her body. Aisha lay down next to him, placed her head on his chest, and they fell into a deep sleep. What she had thought would be a complete nightmare turned out to be the most enjoyable night of her life.

Early in the morning, Ahmed woke her up with a kiss on the forehead. He was already showered and groomed.

“Aisha, wake up, sleepyhead.”

“Hmm, is something happening?”

“We’re going on our honeymoon. I was thinking of taking you to Abu Dhabi, but I believe you’d like to forget about Arab traditions and rules for a while. So, we’ll go to a place where nobody will bother us-a private island, just you and me. We’ll have to bring some bodyguards for security, and they’ll be Americans, so on this trip, no rules, no impositions. You can be completely yourself. I think they can survive here without me for a week.”

Aisha got excited and got up to hug him. He appreciated her spontaneous gesture, and she looked so childish jumping around that it warmed Ahmed’s heart.

When she was ready, Aisha stepped out of the dressing room wearing a short, tight-fitting dress. Ahmed was taken aback, not because he disliked what he saw, but quite the opposite. His mind quickly imagined what the dress covered. Aisha then put on an abaya adorned with gemstones, something she would take off when they boarded the plane.

She left her hair loose and adorned it with some jeweled hairpins. Ahmed savored the delightful aroma that emanated from her as she moved. This trip would be torture for him, he already knew.

They met up with their friends and Ahmed’s family for breakfast before departing. Básima and Ahmed’s aunts blushed when they saw them, and the couple remembered what had happened the night before, but they had to contain their laughter for the sake of politeness.

Ahmed’s aunts insisted that Aisha should eat and nourish herself well, especially on their honeymoon, as not doing so could make her sick. Aisha blushed this time; she knew what they were referring to.

Before leaving, she said goodbye to Caroline, Thara, and Amira. They burst into laughter when she told them what had happened the night before. Amira didn’t know the full story but gave the vial of blood to Ahmed, knowing that Aisha was forced into marriage and might not be ready to consummate it yet.

She respected that, as she, too, wouldn’t want to marry someone against her will. It was a tradition in their country that she despised, and it was becoming less common except for her mother, who failed to understand that it should be left in the past.

Thara, Caroline, and Cambell would stay a few more days. Amira and Ibrahim would act as tour guides. Aisha gave them some gold jewelry she had bought during one of her outings as gifts. She would have loved to take them with her, but it would be suspicious to bring friends on their honeymoon. The girls promised to visit later.

Caroline had taken a liking to one of Ahmed’s cousins. Aisha was worried; she didn’t want her sister to have anything to do with those customs. Ahmed was different; he had become accustomed to the lifestyle and customs of the United States and was working to leave behind traditions that demeaned women.

They accompanied the couple to the airport to bid them farewell. Aisha and Ahmed boarded the plane-a place filled with luxury, the designated jet for the Sheikh’s travels. Aisha thought about whether all of this was truly necessary when so many people were starving in the world.

Ahmed noticed her discomfort and dared to ask, “Is something bothering you?”Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

“I was just thinking about all this luxury-gold and precious stones, just like at the palace. It could feed so many people.”

“I’ve always thought the same. The palaces and planes were decorated to my father’s taste. There are far too many luxury cars in the palace, some even plated with gold. As for expensive horses, my father’s stable houses some of the most costly in the world. As for me, believe me, I try to support as many charities as I can, both here and in the United States.”

“That’s good. Every little bit makes a difference.”

Aisha removed the abaya; she was so tired of wearing it. Thara and Caroline would have to wear it while in the country, but only where the law required it. In other places, they could dress as they usually did. However, things would be different for her; she would have to follow some dress code norms.

Ahmed started sweating profusely when he saw her. He attempted to read a book, but it was impossible. He couldn’t concentrate on his reading, so he closed his eyes and pretended to sleep.

After a couple of hours of flying, they landed at a private airport where they would take a jet to the island.

The flight’s captain was a handsome German man, who was very attentive to Aisha upon seeing her. Ahmed felt annoyed. At least on the island, he wouldn’t have to deal with that. He considered hiring only female bodyguards but dismissed the idea since it would be too obvious that he was jealous.