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“Who is this Saja?” Akeem, her half-brother asked their father. All her brothers were married but they had come home for that weekend.
“She is your father's bastard,” Sheik El-Tamar's wife replied. Her response was followed by an awkward silence.
“What do you plan to do with her?” Aman, the eldest son finally asked.
“Marry her off to Prince Al-Qadir,” Sheik El-Tamar replied.
“Will he even accept her?” his wife asked.
“We can only try.”
***
The next morning, the Sheik went to Saja's room, gently knocking on the door. After hearing a grunt from inside, he walked in, she did not get up to greet him and only met him with a cold stare. Despite being his daughter he didn’t know the slightest thing about her. Her favourite color, what music she liked, they were all a mystery to him. There were times he regretted his decision to send them away, but too much time had passed now. He sat down opposite her. For a moment he did not speak, he simply looked at her. She looked so much like her mother.
“Did you sleep well?” he asked her.
“Do you care?” Saja replied without even looking at him.
&
nbsp; “I understand that you dislike me but the least you can do is show me some respect,” he demanded. She turned her head and faced him. She could not believe what she was hearing.
“And why should I show you respect? Who are you to me?”
“You have your mother's temper.”
“You did not raise me nor were you a father to me. You didn't want me, so why would you concern yourself with my life now? What do you hope to gain out of this marriage?”
“At least I can see you marry into a good family.”
“I do not need your help in that area.” She didn't know him but she was not buying his answer.
“Think what you may, but this is good for you.” With that, the Sheik stood up and headed for the door.
“I don't need you to decide what is good for me. I'd appreciate it if you stayed out of my life,” she shouted after him. He did not respond to her. Saja wanted to return to her life. Coming here was a mistake. After much discussion, her mother had talked her into coming to visit to hear him out, as she had always wanted her daughter to have a relationship with her father. Saja couldn’t understand why speaking with her father required that she get on a plane. He could have simply spoken to her on the phone.
An unfamiliar dark haired man walked into her room. He wore traditional Eastern clothes. For a moment he didn't speak. He studied Saja.
“May I help you?” Saja asked him. She didn't appreciate the way he was looking at her.
“So, you are Saja” the man said.
“Who wants to know?”
“Aman,” the man replied. Saja still looked puzzled. “The Sheik's eldest son,” he added.
“Ahh. So that would make you my half-brother,” Saja replied.
There was an awkward moment of silence. Neither one of them knew what to say to the other. Saja was still wondering why he had come to see her in the first place. She wanted to ask but that would be too rude.
“Will you accept the marriage?” Aman asked. Saja's eyes widened. That was his reason for coming to her.
“Am I meant to?”
“This marriage will be good for you and the family.”
“A marriage of convenience. I thought as much.” Saja placed her hands on her hips.
