Kidnapped by the Arab

The next morning, Ahmed organized a yacht ride but had to cut it short. Zafir had informed him that he had found his sisters, and Ahmed wanted to rescue them immediately. He hesitated to call while on his honeymoon, but he decided to do so as he didn’t want to keep important information from him.

The couple had breakfast before boarding the yacht. Aisha wore a light, long white dress, semi-transparent, with her swimsuit underneath. She also put on a beautiful hat and dark sunglasses. Ahmed wore white shorts and a black shirt, with dark sunglasses as well.

“We’ll have to return to Dubai tomorrow. I know I promised you more days on the island, but Zafir has found my sisters, and I want to free them right away. After that, we can come back to continue our honeymoon. Does that sound okay to you?” Ahmed asked.

Aisha remained silent for a moment. She understood that he needed to rescue his sisters, but the thought of going back to that place where she couldn’t be herself and had to endure Ahmed’s mother and her traditions troubled her.Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

“I understand. Could it be that I stay on the island? Please, I could wait for you here,” she proposed.

“No, I wouldn’t be at peace, fearing for your safety. This place is isolated, and while there’s no danger on the island itself, if someone finds out, your life could be at risk.”

“Please, it will only be until you come back. Afterward, we can stay a few more days before returning to Dubai.”

“Alright, but you won’t stay at the villa. You’ll have to stay at Lara’s house with her parents. I’ll leave some bodyguards here, and only two will come with me. I’ll call Zafir to wait for me with his men at the hangar.”

Ahmed reluctantly agreed. He understood that she didn’t want to return to Dubai just yet, and he wouldn’t either if he had the choice. He worried about her safety and didn’t like being away from her as the nightmares would come back to haunt him.

“It will take me a maximum of two days. I know my mother will be angry when she doesn’t see you return, as she finds it unthinkable for a wife to be alone elsewhere. She’ll have to learn that we won’t allow her to meddle in our marriage and that we’ll handle it as we see fit. I need to find an excuse to justify my return. They shouldn’t know that I’m sending my sisters to the United States; I can’t send them to New York as it will be the first place they’ll look for them.”

Aisha felt a strange pressure in her chest, perhaps because she didn’t want to be separated from him. But she needed a few more days of calm and tranquility before returning to take her place and responsibilities as the Sheikha.

The yacht anchored in front of a wonderful beach. Aisha removed her robe, revealing her swimsuit, and Ahmed thought her body was truly sculptural. He looked at his bodyguards to make sure none of them dared to look at her. None of them would dare; they knew the punishment that awaited them if they did.

Ahmed brought out two sets of diving equipment. He helped Aisha put one on, and then he put on his own. They jumped into the water, and at first, it felt icy cold, but after a few minutes, their bodies adjusted to the temperature. Ahmed guided her, and she was amazed by the impressive underwater landscape. The blue color of the water contrasted with the marvelous colors of hundreds of fish swimming around them. Ahmed even picked up a pufferfish that inflated as soon as he touched it. The reefs were teeming with life and color.

Later, they swam to a nearby beach, where the bodyguards caught up with them in a small boat. They brought some baskets of food that Ahmed had ordered his staff to prepare before boarding the boat. They spread out blankets and improvised a picnic. Ahmed thought of everything, while Aisha was a bit absent-minded.

“The reefs are beautiful, and the life within them is even more so,” she said.

“Most of them are artificial. Here, just like in Dubai, there’s been an initiative to rehabilitate them for marine biodiversity and to create a natural habitat for the endangered hawksbill turtle. There’s a school that follows a unique curriculum focused on ecological education. Its students, aged between twelve and thirteen, study the oceanography of the United Arab Emirates.”

“You leave me speechless.”

“My father wasn’t just a man clinging to old traditions and precepts; he also tried to modernize some things to attract tourism. He was always concerned with developing programs to address the problems in our society.”

“That shows that not everything is so bad, nor is everything as it seems or as we believe.”

“That’s right. All those old, annoying, and obsolete traditions have to change, but it will be a gradual process. We can’t abruptly remove something that we’ve respected for centuries.”

They enjoyed their meal, conversations, and laughter. The sound of the waves and the breathtaking beauty of the place brought them peace and tranquility. Later, they returned to the yacht on the boat. That night, Aisha wanted to savor his aroma on her skin.

They made love tenderly, and Ahmed made her feel all the love he had for her. He wanted her to be sure of him, to understand that she was unique and that he would live only for her from the moment he met her.

In the morning, they packed their bags, and Ahmed took her to Malak’s house, his friend. Malak’s parents welcomed her warmly.

“This is my wife, Aisha. She’ll be staying on the island. I hope she can stay with you until my return; it will only be two days, but I wouldn’t like her to be alone at the villa,” Ahmed said.

“Don’t worry, Ahmed. She’ll be safe here, and it’ll be a pleasure to host the wife of our friend,” Malak replied with a smile.

Ahmed said his goodbyes and was about to leave when Aisha almost said she regretted staying and that she would go with him, but she decided to remain silent.

That afternoon, Ahmed arrived in Dubai, where Zafir welcomed him at the airport. They headed to the palace as Ahmed wanted to know what had happened with his sisters.

“Zafir, where are they?” Ahmed asked urgently.

“Your Majesty, your sisters have been confined in a dungeon all this time, they are in the old palace. The first time they tried to escape, your father locked them in the mansion with their mother, but the second time, he decided to impose a harsher punishment. Anyone who opposed his rules became his enemy, whether they were his children or wives,” Zafir informed Ahmed.

Ahmed headed towards his palace and decided to wait until nightfall to rescue his sisters. He asked Zafir if he had prepared everything to take them out of the country.

“Yes, sir, I followed your instructions precisely,” Zafir replied.

Upon arriving at the palace, Amira embraced Ahmed as soon as she saw him. She preferred to stay there rather than with their mother.

“Brother, it’s good to see you back. Where is Aisha?” she asked.

“I came for just a couple of days to handle an unexpected matter. Then I’ll return to the island. That’s why Aisha stayed with Malak and her family,” Ahmed explained.

“That’s good, brother. She can enjoy a bit more freedom here. She needs to relax before coming here. Mother has already made a list of the duties she’ll have as your wife, and it’s really stressful. You have to be very careful. I’ve been at the palace, and she’s with Aracha all day. I fear they are planning something,” Amira expressed her concerns.

“Don’t worry, sister. I’ll be careful. As for my wife, I won’t allow anyone to control her life or her time,” Ahmed reassured her.

After Amira left, Ibrahim entered the office.

“Brother, I overheard Zafir talking to you. Please allow me to go with them to the United States. I want to start a new life there, and I know mother won’t allow me to leave the country,” Ibrahim requested.

“I won’t ask you for the reasons behind your decision because I believe I already know them. I’ll only ask, are you sure?” Ahmed asked.

“Absolutely sure.”

“Alright, once you’re there, mother won’t be able to force you to return. You’ll leave together from here, but you’ll stay in New York. If you wish, you can take charge of the businesses. Campbell can get you up to speed and explain everything you need to know. As for our sisters, he’ll help them get new identities and they’ll settle in another state so they won’t be found,” Ahmed explained to Ibrahim.

That night, they set off to the old palace. Upon seeing several men approaching, the guards became alert. Ahmed approached them, and upon recognizing the Sheikh, they holstered their weapons.

“I’ll take my sisters. Needless to say, you haven’t seen us. You’ll report it tomorrow, claiming that unknown men took them. You know what will happen if you betray me, so it’s better to be on my side,” Ahmed warned them.

“Yes, sir,” the guards replied, not intending to disobey his orders. They knew how ruthless he could be when determined.

Ahmed’s sisters were in one of the dungeons, equipped with the essentials, but they couldn’t spend their youth in such a place. When they saw Ahmed, both of them felt relieved, knowing he had come for them.

They were safely taken out of there, and the group headed to Port Rashid, where a cargo ship was about to depart. Ibrahim and his sisters entered a container with a double bottom, arranged comfortably for their journey. The sisters bid Ahmed farewell with tears in their eyes.

“Brother, we appreciate what you’re doing. We know you could get into serious trouble if they find out. Take care of our mother; she has made it clear that she doesn’t want to live in another country,” they said.

“Don’t worry. She’ll be fine. I’ll take care of her,” Ahmed assured them.

After saying goodbye to his siblings, Ahmed returned to the palace. As he entered his room, the loneliness became evident, and he missed Aisha dearly. He tried to call her but couldn’t get through; he assumed it was due to the announced bad weather on the island.

The next morning, his mother’s voice woke him up, and he opened the door to let her in.

“What’s the matter, mother?”

“I heard you returned alone. Where is your wife? Her place is by your side,” she remarked.

“I came back for just a couple of days to handle an unexpected matter. Then I’ll return to the island. That’s why Aisha stayed with Malak and her family,” Ahmed explained.

“It’s not right for her not to be by your side, especially when you’re newlyweds. There will be rumors, but that’s up to you. By the way, Aisha talked to me. She wants to ask you to have dinner with her to smooth things over. Her father is planning some things to upset you, and she wants to help you avoid problems,” his mother informed.

“I’m not in the mood for that, mother.”

“I ask it as a special favor. It’ll be just a dinner. You can take the opportunity to clear things up once and for all between you two.”

“Alright, it’ll be a short dinner, and nothing more.”

“Perfect, see you later, son,” Basima said with a smile.

The following evening, after finishing the meeting, Ahmed went to his mother’s palace for the dinner with Aisha. Upon arrival, he noticed his mother had made a great effort in the arrangement of the place. After greeting each other, they sat down, waiting for Aisha, who had not arrived yet. As soon as she appeared, Ahmed’s mother left them alone.

“Ahmed, I’m truly sorry for trying to force you into marrying me. I understand that you don’t love me,” Aisha apologized.

“Well, it’s about time you realized that,” he replied coldly.

They chatted for a few minutes while having wine. After a while, Ahmed started to feel dizzy. He recognized the feeling – how could he fall for it again?

“I’m leaving; I don’t feel well,” he tried to hurry away from that place.

“Don’t worry, my love. I’ll accompany you to rest,” Aisha said.

He tried to push her away, but he lacked the strength.

The next morning, Ahmed woke up with a terrible headache and no recollection of what had happened. He tried to get up, but the weight of a body on his chest prevented him. He saw a woman with black hair on top of him. It was clear that it wasn’t Aisha since she had blonde hair. He quickly pushed her aside.

“Ouch, my love, you hurt me,” the woman said.

“What the hell happened?” Ahmed wondered.