Kidnapped by the Arab

Mía was questioning herself whether she should accept that Ahmed could have other wives. She couldn’t say that he was the love of her life, but she was starting to feel something beyond friendship.

That kiss had not left her indifferent; it had stirred strange sensations inside her. Now, she understood what her friend meant about feeling butterflies in her stomach, something she had never experienced with Carlo’s kisses.

In his office, Ahmed was also thinking about the marriage agreement. If Mía accepted that he could have other wives, it would be a clear indication that she wasn’t interested in him. He held a small hope that she would refuse because he noticed how she trembled when he kissed her.

Ahmed entered Mía’s room as usual that night. She was coming out of the shower, only wearing a thin nightgown, which made her blush when she saw him sitting in the armchair.

“Wait, I’ll be right back,” she told the Arab before going into the dressing room to change. She came out shortly after, now wearing a long pajama.

“In two days, we’ll have the engagement celebration, and we’ll sign the marriage contract. I’ve told my mother that the wedding ceremony will take place in two weeks. She’s not happy about it; traditionally, it should happen within one to three months after signing the agreement. Tomorrow, Amira will guide you through your conversion to Islam.”

“We could wait for the specified time.”

“No way! You know that would give my mother and Aracha time to plot against you. After signing the contract, we’ll have the milcha.”

“What’s that? Sorry, I’m not fully familiar with the culture yet.”

“It’s the ring ceremony. Before the wedding, there will be the henna ceremony. I’ve asked my sister to explain how it will be. She’ll also bring the clothes you’ll wear. The imam will take the place that your father would have occupied; he’ll verify that you receive what is rightfully yours.

My mother insisted that you shouldn’t receive a dowry, but I won’t allow that. You need to be protected in case something happens to me. I’ve sent the necessary documents to my lawyer in New York. From now on, you own half of my fortune in the United States, and you’ll be the sole owner if something were to happen to me.”

“I can’t accept that, Ahmed. It’s something that doesn’t belong to me.”

“From now on, it belongs to you. My family doesn’t need my assets; they have more than enough. You know that if I were to repudiate you, which will never happen, or if we were to divorce, and we have children, they must stay with me in the country. I know you said that it would be only between us, but as a precaution, I’ve signed a document that allows you to take our children out of the country if something were to happen to me.”

Mía fell silent; now she understood the love Ahmed had for her. Before, she hadn’t noticed the feelings he conveyed through his gaze. What she thought was just friendship now seemed to be something more.

She sat next to him, resting her head on his chest, and noticed how Ahmed’s heartbeat quickened due to her closeness. She fell asleep without realizing it. In the morning, she woke up, realizing that she was lying in his bed. Ahmed must have put her there. She found the usual note on the pillow, but this time, she felt a strange sensation in her chest as she read its content.

“Thank you for staying by my side despite everything and everyone. Yours forever, Ahmed.”

She clutched the note tightly to her chest and let out a deep sigh. It was evident that Ahmed wasn’t indifferent to her either. She needed to talk to Thara and Caroline; she would ask Ahmed to find out how they were doing. She needed to know about them.

Ahmed had to give a mandatory interview about their engagement to the press. The Amin family had caused a stir because the Sheikh was marrying an American, which was not well received by many. He ordered that no one who knew Mía should speak or provide any information about her.

To the press, she was now Aisha Assad, and nothing more. An agreement with the media was made, forbidding the showing of the future Sheikha’s face, and anyone who violated it would face severe consequences.

That afternoon, Amira brought a traditional dress for Mía, a beautiful black one with delicate embroidery from the neck to the waist. She also gave her a hijab to cover her head. When Mía was ready, Amira handed her a small note about what she should say in front of the imam.

They headed to the mosque, accompanied by some of Ahmed’s cousins and relatives. Badira pretended to feel unwell to avoid going.

Mía felt that the ceremony was very simple, although nerves betrayed her when she recited the Shahada in front of the imam; she pronounced the precepts in Arabic quite poorly. After the brief declaration of faith, when they exited the mosque, she was officially Aisha, and her former name would now remain in the shadows, soon to be just a memory.

Before getting into the car to return to the palace, Amira congratulated her.

“Now you are officially Aisha,” she said with a big smile before making a face of disapproval. “This could have been done at the palace, but my mother insisted on doing it in front of the imam.”

In Italy, Carlo remained locked in his father’s study. Since his father’s death, he had not stopped drinking. Vittoria also stayed in the mansion to accompany Greta, who was in a very bad state.

“Aunt, you should try to eat a little, at least some soup,” Vittoria said.

“I appreciate it, dear, but I just want to close my eyes and let go. A whole life beside Pietro, it’s not easy to accept that he’s gone.”

“I can’t say I understand because I haven’t felt the pain of losing a partner, but I lost my mother, and it’s as if my father doesn’t exist. As for my mother, her passing was a relief to my soul. She always pretended to be seriously ill so that I would stay by her side. When she got sick, I felt like God had granted her what she had been asking for.”

“Your life has been very hard, and this son of mine doesn’t know how to appreciate you. When you’re no longer by his side, he’ll realize your true worth.”

“For years, I idealized him as my prince charming, but now, I just want him to let me go.”

“I’ll talk to him when he’s calmer. For now, let him accept his father’s death.”

Ahmed was in his office with Amira. The next day would be the signing of the marriage contract, and everyone was talking about how quickly everything related to the marriage was happening.

“Sister, mother has requested that before the contract signing, a doctor examines Aisha to ensure that she is pure and worthy of you.”

“Darn it! I won’t allow her to be humiliated in that way, under no circumstances.”

“In North America, you’ve learned to curse, brother. You know that if she’s not pure, she’d be punished with two hundred lashes and deported from the country. Of course, mother won’t convince the court to imprison her, the court won’t impose the medical examination, that’s our mother’s thing, but they have requested that mother and two other women from the family be in the adjacent room on the wedding night to ensure that the marriage is consummated. She’ll have to hand them the stained sheet to prove her purity.”

“These traditions are outdated and should not be followed. Darn it!”

“I’m sorry, little brother, but the Grand Tribunal has accepted it because mother portrayed her as a liberal woman, just because she’s American and not under her parents’ care.”

“If I allow all of this, we’ll be moving backward instead of modernizing. Soon, we’ll look like cavemen.”

At night, when he was with Aisha, he explained everything his mother intended.

“You know very well that can’t happen after that night we were together.”

“I won’t allow them to expose you to a doctor as if you were some common woman. Under no circumstances, will you go through that embarrassment. As for the wedding night sheet, I’ll take care of it.”

She blushed at the thought of the wedding night; her life had taken a complete turn since the moment she was kidnapped by the Arab.

Ahmed fell silent, also thinking about the same thing. His mother would be glued to the door, trying to listen for any indication of what was happening inside. If she had her way, she would be present in the room at that moment. When it came to respecting traditions, Básima was capable of anything.