Megan felt sad and broken... and lost and lonely, she just wanted to return to America, to have her sense of sanity back, to be in a familiar environment, to be able to step out whenever she wanted to than to be cooped up in a room in another man's land, in a strange land. She hugged herself as she walked down the hallway towards the Sheikh's room, she had just been summoned and all kinds of vibes and emotions and thoughts wrapped around her head and body. She felt them choke her, felt them drain her and she struggled to breathe properly.
She relished the feeling that came with waking up on her bed, in her comfortable little apartment, the fresh aroma of the rich coffee and fresh doughnuts which Omar never failed to deliver to her doorstep every morning, she missed that feeling of temporary laziness and being treated like a treasure. Now thinking about it she wondered when last she had tasted coffee. When last did she see Omar?
Omar was understanding, he had taken their relationship seriously when he had brought her home to see his father, he couldn't have gotten married without his father's consent and she had thought he would be like most American dad's with the "oh hello future daughter in law" attitude, but it wasn't too be so. This was Saudi Arabia, this was the Sheikh Khalid bin Aaban
She sighed as she continued walking steadily behind. She knew how much she loved Omar and she knew that he loved her just as much, but she was suffering here and she wondered if he was suffering too, after all, he was the one being forced to marry someone he doesn't want to. They were both pawns in the hands of the Sheikh, maybe if she left then the burden on Omar to marry the princess might reduce but then would he actually let her.
She was a US citizen for crying out loud and what the Sheikh was doing by keeping her against her will was kidnap. It was a major offense which could cause trouble for him. Did he know that?
The guard leading her to the Sheikh totally ignored her, not for once looking back like he knew she was actually following him. She was expected to follow, they were all pawns for the Sheikh, whether you were paid to be a pawn like the guards or you were blackmailed into being a pawn like she and Omar, nothing changes. She watched him now, he walked like he calculated his steps, his back straight and head up, his hands swung lightly by his side and his palms were in a fist ready to throw a punch.
They came to a stop in front of a room near the middle of the long hallway and the guard knocked lightly on the door, announcing that he had brought her as demanded, he waited a while for a command to open before opening the door for her to enter. She shook a little as stepped in and he closed the door behind her, it was just her and the Sheikh in the very spacious room but she soon began to feel claustrophobic. She breathed.
"Megan." His voice was calm but held an edge of hostility. "I'll get straight to the point because I really do not enjoy long talks. Omar is to get married to the princess and somehow I see you as a threat to that so what do we do about that?"
The question was rhetorical she knew but then it presented itself as an opportunity for her to voice out. She cleared her throat to get his attention.
"You have something to say?"
"I would.. hmm!" She cleared her throat again.
"Well..?" Khalid was impatient.
"I want to return back to America."
The Sheikh narrowed his eyes at her. "You want to return?" He smirked, "Omar told you to?"
"Omar doesn't know about my decision... yet. I'm not sure I want him to. I just want everything to go back to normal, to the way it was and used to be. I know Omar will have to marry her ...err... princess, it would be useless and hurtful in my part to stay back. I don't want to stay, I don't..." She tried to rush her words.
"And Omar?" He watched her but she didn't meet his gaze, he could see from the corner of her eyes that she was already tearing up. She fought hard to blink back the tears but it was of no use, they fell from her lashes onto her cheek which she quickly wiped away, suppressing a sniff.
"Funny how only a few days can change your heart away from Omar whom you claim to love so much."
Megan knew the Sheikh was teasing her, but it made her feel terrible because in all he wasn't far from the truth, she had gotten tired, not of Omar but of the situation they were in. She felt suffocated and she desperately needed to breathe proper air.
She kept her head lowered and couldn't stop the tears now, she knew that somehow she would have to let go of Omar, she had faith in him before when he told her he would come up with an escape plan but that was then, now it was just three days to the marriage she had lost all hope. If she was to let him go, she wanted it to be before he got married. She had to fix herself.
"You and Samir were once together." It wasn't a question, it was a statement of fact because he knew. Megan's head shot up and the look in her eyes confirmed it.
"So that's why you want to leave, to get back together with him." He sighed. "I knew most American women were loose and I expected nothing more from you but then I might have been impressed just a little if you had proven me wrong."
"I'm not getting back together with Samir!" She didn't mean to shout.
"That's the only way you'll leave here." He turned to face her. "If Samir takes you out, or I might have to believe that this is a plot by you and Omar to get you out and stop him from marrying the princess. I'm a smart man you see."
Megan froze, she looked at the Sheikh in awe, what kind of man was this? How could he force her to... Then she thought about it, if all it would take for her to leave Saudi was for Samir himself takes her then she would do it. Not like he could then force her to marry Samir, he just had to take her out of the house and out of the country, back to America then she would be free.
She would never get back together with Samir even if things didn't work out between she and Omar. She would never. She decided to play along.
"You want me back with Samir or you don't want me with Omar?"
"Frankly I don't care who you end up with, Samir or with any other Arabian man, seeing that they catch your fancy. But Omar is my son, and I would not be alive to see him ruin his chances of having a much better future by ending up with... you know... a loose American woman."
"I am not..!" Megan voiced out in denial but the Sheikh wouldn't let her finish.
"Mariam is a much better companion. She offers too many opportunities than can be counted and measured."
Megan gritted her teeth in anger, she wasn't loose. True that the princess offered more valuables when talking in terms of material gains and monetary wealth but she knew the princess could never offer Omar true happiness. Neither of them would ever find love in each other. "You don't value his happiness, do you?"
"I don't value this conversation. You will go with Samir if you want to leave, Omar will know that you are done with him."
"No!" She breathed. "I don't want Omar to know I am leaving or he might come find me. Wouldn't that put more hindrance on the marriage than me being here?"
"Aren't you a smart one?" Khalid teased. "I am still sceptical about letting you go but I can't keep you here forever."
"I will leave with Samir and without Omar knowing about it, I am certain you can find something to tell him?" She knew he would.
Khalid smirked. "But I want him to know, and he will know because you will tell him that you plan on getting back together with Samir. It is the only way to ensure he doesn't go running after you."
"But...."
"This conversation ends here. Return to your room."
Megan hesitated, looking long and hard at the Sheikh who now had his back turned to her, he had given her difficult choices to ponder on and she had to pick one. Could she really tell Omar that she didn't love him and wanted to get back together with Samir? Would Omar be able to see through her lies and understand the words of her heart? Would he understand her reason for wanting to leave? She pondered on these thoughts as she left the Sheikh's room, heading back to hers. The guard who never left the door escorted her back to her room and remained until she entered and closed the doors.
Megan slumped on the bed, she knew she would have to make a choice and she knew already what choice she had to make. She sighed.
"Forgive me, Omar."
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