Kidnapped by the Arab

Ahmed woke up very early; he had to leave Mía’s room before dawn. He watched her for a while before leaving; she was beautiful, and what he felt for her was undoubtedly special, a very strong feeling. He approached slowly and gently kissed her lips. At that moment, she moved, startling Ahmed.

She seemed to be still asleep, moving her leg and arm over him. Ahmed felt warmth spreading through his body, and he didn’t want to wake her. He needed to leave before anyone noticed he spent the night there. As he felt her warmth, he also noticed an intimate part of his body awakening. He tried to distance himself slowly, but just then, Mía opened her eyes, finding Ahmed staring at her, noticing his irregular breathing.

Realizing the position they were in, with almost half her body on top of him, Mía blushed and quickly moved away.

“I’m sorry,” she said, avoiding eye contact.

“Don’t worry, it’s alright. I’m also messy when I sleep. I have to go now,” Ahmed replied, resisting the urge to kiss her forehead and left quickly through the window, just like he did every day. It was incredible that, being the Sheikh, he had to leave like that, but it was for Mía’s own good. This time, however, he wasn’t as fortunate as before; his brother Ibrahim spotted him in the garden.

Back in his room, Ahmed took a cold shower, as the warmth he felt with Mía became almost habitual now. Later, he went downstairs for breakfast, and Ibrahim was still in the garden. Ahmed decided to talk to him before leaving the palace.

“Marhaba,” he greeted his brother.

“Marhaba, brother.”

“Ibrahim, about what you saw earlier…”

“About what I saw? What do you mean, brother? I’ve been in the garden since early morning, just walking my dogs. I haven’t seen anything other than palm trees,” he said with a playful smile.

Ahmed smiled back, relieved. Ibrahim, the younger brother, was a happy and easygoing guy, not in agreement with their parents’

ways. He also didn’t have a good relationship with Arkham and was determined in his own choices. Their father had been against having dogs inside the palace, but Ibrahim fought until he got them.

Back to the subject, Ahmed said, “Thank you, brother. I appreciate it.”

Ibrahim smiled and bid farewell. Ahmed’s day was busy; he had meetings with representatives from several countries to discuss oil prices. Their country was one of the world’s major producers, but the quality was low, and other countries were asking for adjustments. His father hadn’t agreed to those requests.

Meanwhile, Mía managed to convince Raccha to take her out. Being within those palace walls had left her feeling discouraged. Not realizing that Raccha reported her every move to Ahmed, Mía thought she could just go without informing him. She dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, tied her hair in a high ponytail, and Raccha insisted she brought something to cover up if necessary.

Arkham observed them leaving and decided to follow them. It was a good opportunity to get closer to the beautiful girl.

A palace chauffeur drove them to the Mosque. Mía was amazed; the architectural beauty of the place was impressive. The Mosque had nine domes covered in colored glass, with forty-five smaller domes at the sides. The roofs and walls were intricately detailed in Persian style, and the wall decoration consisted of sand and blue mosaic.

“It’s simply a magnificent building,” Mía said in awe.

“Yes, it’s beautiful,” Raccha agreed.

Arkham approached them, saying, “Marhaba.”

“Marhaba,” Mía replied with a slight bow.

“You’re lucky; today, I’m available as your tour guide.”

Without waiting for her response, he started explaining the details of the Mosque. “In 1960, part of this Mosque was demolished to make it much larger, and it was remodeled in 1998, maintaining its original form. Here is our main prayer center, so tourists can only visit the exterior.”

Arkham insisted on taking them to another Mosque, and Mía agreed. She was grateful for the time he took to be her guide, knowing that for Ahmed, it was impossible. If he didn’t come looking for her at night, she wouldn’t see him at all.

The second Mosque was also impressive, and Arkham explained that it looked even more striking at night due to its illumination.

He asked Mía to wear a hijab to enter, and she gladly accepted. They took off their shoes before going in.

“Here, you can take photos of the building. Our motto is ‘Open Doors, Open Minds.’ Anyone can enter as long as they do so with respect. When we come to pray, women are at the back, and men at the front, to avoid distractions,” he explained.

At sunset, Arkham insisted on taking them to eat before returning to the palace. Mía thought he would take them to an expensive restaurant, but to her surprise, he led them to a small eatery in a busy area.

He ordered Shish Tawouk Sandwiches, and Mía loved it. It was made with bread and pieces of chicken, spicy, salty, and heavily spiced, but absolutely delicious.

“I’ve never had this before; it’s simply delicious,” Mía remarked.

“I’m a regular customer here; I love their food,” Arkham replied.

Upon returning to the palace, Ahmed was waiting, unable to believe what his brother was capable of doing to hurt him. He knew Arkham would try to win over Mía, and he wasn’t willing to allow it. He watched them get out of the van.

“Thank you for today; it has been wonderful, and you’ve been an amazing guide,” Mía expressed her gratitude.

“Thanks to you for accepting my company. I’ll make sure you get to know the most emblematic places, and you’ll fall in love with my city and country,” Arkham said, smiling.

Mía looked at Ahmed in the distance, imagining that he was upset. She bid them farewell and quickly moved away, with Raccha following closely, knowing Ahmed would call her to ask for a report of the day. Mía approached Ahmed, who received her coldly.

“Hello,” she greeted him.

“Hello. I see you had fun,” he replied.

“I managed to convince Raccha to accompany me to the Mosque. Arkham found us by chance and offered to be our guide. I felt bad refusing; he has been very kind.”

“I see.”

Ahmed placed his hands behind his back and walked away without looking at her. He was furious, but not with her.

Mía went back to her room, feeling embarrassed.

That night, she waited for Ahmed, but he didn’t come. She fell asleep, and the nightmare of the man without a face returned, but this time, she saw the face clearly-it was Ahmed’s. She woke up feeling agitated and was startled to see the shadow of a man on the armchair next to her bed. Before she could scream, the man stood up and covered her mouth.

It was Ahmed, who, overcoming his pride, had decided to come after being tormented by nightmares that didn’t let him sleep. So, he sought her company. Upon arriving, he noticed she was deeply asleep and started watching her; it was becoming a habit.

Carefully, he removed his hand covering her mouth.

“I’m sorry, Mía. I didn’t mean to wake you. I tried to sleep, but the nightmares wouldn’t let me,” Ahmed said.

“I’ve had the same experience,” she replied.

“I was about to talk to you when you woke up; you seemed very agitated.”

“I had the same nightmare again, but this time, when the man without a face approached me, I finally saw who he was-it was you.”

Ahmed tried to hide his nervousness; had she remembered something? He tried to remain calm, not to give himself away.

“Does the man in your nightmares have my face?”

“Yes, it was strange. Maybe it’s because I fell asleep thinking you were mad at me.”

“Perhaps.”

Mía touched the spot where Ahmed usually lay, and he got up to lie beside her.

They remained silent, just looking at each other, until they fell asleep.

In the morning, Ahmed had already left, leaving behind the usual note. She read it and placed it in a small box; she liked to collect them. She found it endearing that Ahmed always left her a note. She had grown accustomed to receiving them, waking up with curiosity to see what he had written that day. She knew Ahmed enjoyed writing poems, but he hadn’t written one for her yet.