The Sheikh shrugged and went on his way. The sooner the search was over, the sooner she would leave... She hated him, I could tell. He should make a phone call and rush things. The night passed calmly and also with infinite slowness. The young woman was no longer thirsty and she was very afraid. She had left the light on and put music on in her room but she was still scared. Seriously, she had nothing to be afraid of because the man had not seen her but she was afraid... What was he talking about? It was probably none of her business... She should never have let her curiosity get the better of her. But it was too late now. It was a good thing she hadn't seen the face or held back a clue or even let herself be seen frankly, she would have died overnight... As daylight appeared, the young woman finally fell asleep... The sooner this week ends, the sooner she will leave.
The next morning, the Sheikh got up very early, he would have to leave for the day to go and make some observations on the scene. He would have to take a closer look... The young woman, for her part, had planned to make a visit as agreed with Sarah. She had woken up very early and quickly put on a sports suit. They were going to take the opportunity to do some sport. She took a small bag and put two large chocolate bars, a salted sweet and a bottle of milk and a bottle of water. They were going to visit the other part of the city that they didn't have time to visit... Alicia was a little excited and she was going to forget about the Sheikh for the moment. Sarah was supposed to pick her up, but her best friend was late so she decided to go to her room. The Sheikh and the young woman left their room together and headed for the same corner. As the young woman tried in vain to fit her water can into the satchel, it went into a hard chest and she didn't even have to look up to see which one it had just gone into... Frankly, someone or even fate had something against him... This palace is so big why did they always have the misfortune to go against each other?
- We don't look where we're going. It's common, like an epidemic. Last night, a woman also bumped into me... the prince began ironically.
- The Prince began ironically. "Good morning. Yes, I slept well. Thank you for your attention to me, for you have been looking after my well-being since I left prison. Which was your fault...
- I'm glad you're okay. But you dropped my phone!
Alicia looked down at her feet and saw the mobile phone, which seemed to be intact, but she also saw her two chocolate bars lying on the floor...
- Oh my God, my chocolate bars!
Alicia picked them up in a hurry as the Sheik picked up her phone as well, examining it.
- There you go! They're ruined. They're in pieces! Thank you, from the bottom of my heart!
- It's not my fault you should have looked, not bumped into me and looked where you were going!
- I should have? And you, you should have seen that I was too busy to look ahead and you should have ducked me!
- What? You're not serious, I hope.
- Yes, I am serious. I'm very serious. You should have let me take those few pictures and then left quietly for my hotel!
- You're crazy. You should have just not gone on this murderous rampage and moreover you should have applied for a visit to the Royal Museum!
- And received it two months after my departure! I saw it on the internet, you know. The journalist wrote that access to this museum was rare and almost impossible! God I need it for my final project!
- It'll be better than what you did.
- I didn't steal anything!
It was magnificently beautiful. The young woman could see that his eyes were laughing and that he wanted to laugh at her...
- But you went home without permission!
- It's only photos and videos!
- Okay.
- Okey? Okey What?
- I have to take my leave of you. I'm in a hurry.
- Goodbye and a bad day to you!
- I return the compliment. He said, smiling at last and walking around her to leave.
The young woman turned to watch him go.
- God, I hate that stupid Sheikh!
- I heard you, you know. And I return the compliment! he said as he left her field of vision.
She put her hand over her mouth. How could he hear? Too bad... He really was a first-class asshole. Alicia sighed angrily and headed for her best friend's flats, asking as she passed. When she got there, she tried to relax... Frankly, this Sheikh wasn't going to ruin her day.
The Sheikh's brother went out with them. Alicia finally understood why Sarah had put on all that powder and natural lipstick.
Habdil was different from his brother. He was kind, sensitive and caring. He had taken a car and the journey was a real torture. She felt like a fifth wheel. The prince and his best friend talked about everything and they tried to draw her into the conversation from time to time, but she replied briefly to tell them that she didn't want to get involved in their conversation. It was still interesting to hear... And she laughed a few times. Habdil was a real prince charming...
When the car parked and the tour started, Alicia let them take the lead while she followed them at a nice distance so as not to listen to their conversation and make herself small. The rest of the city was more beautiful and warmer and more welcoming than the one they had visited before. But there were still some poor and beggars on the road. She had seen a guard chasing a man who was singing for money. When he passed her, she discreetly slipped a €50 note into her basket, which had only a few notes. She watched him leave and went on her way, checking that the two lovebirds were ahead of her. This part of the city seemed more chic and welcoming, no doubt the prince did not want to take them to the deprived areas. She could not be against him, he was right... He should give them a good impression and a good reason to come back to Jaipur. It was a waste of time... She would never set foot here again! The visit had gone well. Alicia had met a mother with her two twin daughters who were begging near a public square. She gave the mother a $50 note and gave each girl a $5 note and a chocolate bar. This part of Jaipur was a wonder. This country was beautiful... "A dreamy romance" with a loathsome sheikh... She huffed in exasperation...
On the way back, just as we were leaving the town square which was famous for its lucky well, Habdil's phone rang as he told yet another story about his life. He apologised and answered...
Habdoul..., are you all right, big brother?
At this simple name, the young woman had an intense headache...
... Okay, I'm coming.
He hung up the phone and announced...
- I'm going to pick up my brother. For some reason he can't get home in his car.
That's all we need. thought the young woman.
- I'll go in the back, next to Alicia, to give her my place.
- I'll do that. But you'll do that when we pick him up. He asked me to hurry up, so something is probably wrong.
- Okay.
Sarah didn't dare say a word. Habdil's voice sounded panicked and he was shaking a little. But what could be wrong with him? When the car parked, Sarah didn't even have time to get out when he saw Habdil open the door and get in the back next to Alicia. The latter, a little disappointed to have found herself near him, stuck to the door, leaving the seat almost free. She had only briefly looked up at him and had time to see his exhausted face with a few dark circles and his worried look. He hadn't given her a look either, it was better that way. The road seemed long and Alicia had a feeling that something was wrong. Habdil was driving fast and glancing in his rearview mirror from time to time. It was getting scary! The sheikh seemed impatient...! Sarah glanced at him and smiled... What the hell is going on? She went back to the window and watched the trees go by. She had the most obnoxious man on the planet next to her but strangely enough she didn't hate him. On the contrary, she was worried about him... Why did he seem so worried? What was wrong with him? She could feel him invading her personal space. She had his smell beginning to rise through her nostrils into her head. Strangely enough, she felt him in all his royalty and in all his... manhood at her side. What the hell is wrong with me? Alicia, pull yourself together. She was hot and cold all at once. The sheikh had never been so close and so near to her for so long. She wedged herself against the door again and at that moment she felt his gaze turn towards her.
...
It was torture. She had held her breath. Why did he think she was cute all of a sudden? God, she hated that man! She thought!
- ماذا لديك الاخ الاكبر؟? (What's going on big brother?).
Alicia went further into her half-seat. Habdil wanted to talk privately with her brother. She should really tell them that she spoke some Arabic and understood perfectly well...! Which he wasn't going to do...She was too curious.
- - سيارتي تعرضت للهجوم! إنه أكثر خطورة مما فهمته. علي مصاب وأمرته بالمغادرة بدوني! ركضت إلى القرية التالية لإنقاذ بشرتي. ( My car was attacked! This is even more serious than I understood. Ali is injured and I ordered him to leave without me! I ran to the next village to save my life. )
Alicia hiccupped in surprise. It was a good thing the sheikh hadn't noticed. Otherwise he would have realised that she understood perfectly well what he was saying. Who attacked them? Frankly, she felt too much included in things that were none of her business!
- If you want to talk to each other, don't speak Arabic. I know someone who has studied the language and speaks it like she speaks English.
Four irises turned to Alicia. Thank you, Sarah... She turned and looked at the sheikh. His nose was bleeding...! She gasped and reached into her satchel and pulled out her handkerchief:
- امسك! أنت تنزفين من أنفك! (Here! Your nose is bleeding!)
He touched his face and felt the red liquid dripping from his nose... He took the pink handkerchief from the young woman.
- He took the young woman's pink handkerchief. "Thank you, thank you!
In the brief moment that the young woman's fingers made contact with the Sheikh's, she felt a current flow through her body. She watched him wipe his nose and when he met her gaze she turned to see the great palace building open up before them. Thank God, they had finally arrived...! As the car parked, the young woman noticed that the whole palace was aware of this as she saw most of the guards and army men waiting outside. The Sheikh left the car before Habdil had even parked. God, let's hope he gets better...! she thought.
- Sarah, I have to go. I loved spending the day with you! Duty calls! See you tonight!
He kissed her hand tenderly and she and Alicia left the prince's carriage. The kingdom seemed to be turned upside down! It was a real carnage. It was a real misery to be king! She had almost forgotten this detail! She arrived in her flats a little tired. She called her family by FaceTime and as it was only 4 o'clock in the afternoon, she took a shower and sat down to watch a film on TV... What in the world was he doing right now? Had he found a solution? Why had he been attacked? Was he better now?