A Silent Prayer

by Samreen Ahsan

  “Let’s go. I’ll show you.” On the other side of the gym is the guest bedroom, beautifully decorated in beiges and browns. Another door, next to the guest bedroom, is a guest washroom, done all in gray and black. I have never seen a washroom like this. Who puts a Jacuzzi in the extra washroom? The opposite door is an amazing laundry room. I smile when I see the extra-costly washer and dryer, with custom-designed cabinetry.

  “Your laundry rocks.”

  “Are all women like you, Rania?” he asks me, surprised.

  “What do you mean?” I look at him, passing my hands over the deep gray laundry machines.

  “I mean, do all women crave the latest appliances? I thought women would go for designer handbags and shoes and diamonds. You’re different.” I giggle at Adam’s remarks about me.

  “Good to know that you finally know me. I told you I’m not like other women.” I grin at him, and exit the laundry room.

  “No doubt about that.” He follows me out of the room. The last room is, of course, his bedroom. I open the door myself.

  “Oh well! I have seen this. I must say, your castle is enchanting, Your Majesty. Is that it? Aren’t you going to amuse me more?” I tease him naughtily and sit at the corner of his bed, spreading my hands on the soft white sheet and crossing my legs. “Aren’t there any more surprises, King Adam?” He walks toward the bed, looking at me seductively.

  “The king has unlimited ways to surprise his queen in his own chamber. Never tantalize him.” He sits closer to me. So Adam Gibson is in a playful mood.

  After what he has done for me, he deserves a little boost. I know he has been in pain since last night and I want to ease his mind.

  “Oh, really?” I flick my index finger over his chest, which is covered by a T-shirt. “I can’t wait, then.” I lick my lips in a sexy manner and laugh at him, rolling over to the other side toward the headboard. He closes his eyes for a moment and when he opens them, he crawls after me like a beast, not taking his eyes off me.

  “The king has wild intentions for his queen. And if the queen doesn’t obey her king in his chamber, she might get locked in a dungeon.” He creeps slowly toward me. I pull away, getting closer to the headboard. “And the king has extreme punishments in the dungeon. Is my queen ready to accept the king’s commands, or does she want to be locked up in the dungeon forever?” He smiles, his intense green eyes alluring. I laugh at his seriousness.

  “So I can expect his highness’s generosity in his chamber?”

  “Oh yes, my queen. The king will shower you with his bounties. All my queen has to do is trust her king, and surrender.” He is an inch away from me. He gently pulls away my scarf and throws it on the other side of the bed. “Is my queen ready to surrender now?” He flicks his index finger over my lips. My body starts to burn at his touch. Shit! I shouldn’t have provoked him. Is he serious?

  “Does his highness promise to be gentle with his queen?” I look into his eyes, trying my best to drag out the conversation. He wants to play games. He takes my hand and kisses the back of it.

  “The king will be as gentle as a dove.” He comes closer to me and nestles his face into my neck. “But if the queen defies her king and violates the rules, then the dungeon is not far away.” Stop it, Adam. It’s not a game anymore.

  He is seducing me, and I must say he is successful enough to inflame a burning desire in me. My body starts to vibrate at his touch. “And if the queen obeys her king, then a time will come when the king will surrender his throne to the queen.” He plants a soft kiss on my collarbone. “Then the queen can rule over the king and his kingdom… forever.” He kisses me again on my neck. What is going on with you, Rania? Why are you letting him rule your body? Why can’t you push him away, like you always did before? I don’t know what is happening to me, but I don’t want this moment to go away. My back is resting on the pillow and I am trapped completely under Adam’s body. His eyes and his body silently scream at me that he is extremely aroused, but I still see the sincerity in his eyes. Somehow, with this entire alluring act, I don’t see lust in his eyes. It looks more like love to me. But if he loves me, then why doesn’t he say so?

  “The king has waited for this moment for so long.” He caresses my neck with his lips, transferring a thousand watts of current in my spine. Our breathing and heartbeats start to increase at the same pace. “The king’s chamber was barren without his queen.” He takes my hands and locks his fingers with mine. “I want you to feel me, Rania.” He whispers in my neck and gently kisses under my ear. “I know your body wants me, as much as I want you, but just for a moment, unlock yourself from all the barriers, and feel the passion between us.” His lips travel slowly to the other side of my neck. My body is getting so weak and so bloody aroused with his touch. I’m losing my senses. He moves his head up and looks directly into my eyes. I see his eyes burning with desire. “I want to open all those bindings of yours. Just for a moment, let your soul meet mine. I promise to take care of you, forever.” He brings his lips back to my neck and I close my eyes to let myself go with his flow.

  He keeps kissing me passionately on my neck, and I feel like the air in the room has been sucked up and we are floating in a vacuum state. I feel his burning lips and my breath gets shallower with each kiss. I try to savor the blissful moment that he is creating with his ecstatic desire, and at this moment, I really wish to escape with him to his world of fantasies, where there is no pain or scars, where no memories of a haunted past reside, where the fear of losing Adam doesn’t exist. My body desires to make love with him passionately. I have never felt anything like this before. As soon as he puts his lips on mine, his phone chimes loudly in his front pocket, breaking the steamy moment between us. He pulls away and takes the call.

  “Yes?” He frowns, but never takes his eyes off of me. “Yes, this is Adam Gibson… yes… Hello, Mr. Bari…” Shit! It’s my dad? “Your daughter is in safe hands, Mr. Bari. You don’t need to worry about… yes, she is fine… no burns… yeah, we should all thank God, nothing happened to her… yeah, the whole floor caught fire… almost ten people are burned and two of them are dead… it is indeed very tragic.” He takes a deep breath. “She is my guest, Mr. Bari… no, I will take care of her.” I hide my face and pull my knees up to my chest. Why did Adam tell my father I am staying with him? Oh God! What will he think of me? “I have taken a vow to protect your daughter. I cannot think of harming her at all… I don’t think she is in a state… thank you… good day.”

  He hangs up the phone, annoyed. Though my face is hidden, I know he is looking at me; I can feel his gaze. The moment we were in before is gone. I shouldn’t have instigated it in the first place. Why did I even start this game of seduction with him, when I know how he feels about me? It is not fair to play with his feelings and mine.

  I feel his body shifting and leaving the bed. I lift my head to see where he is going. He comes back into the room with a box in his hand, and sits next to me.

  “I guess you lost your phone in the fire. Keep this. It’s the same number.” He places the new iPhone box in my hand.

  “Adam. I…” I keep looking at the box, shaking my head.

  “No arguments, Rania.” He gets up from the bed and heads toward the closet. “All your contacts are retrieved, in case you were wondering. You can turn the phone on now.” He enters his walk-in closet.

  I open the box and turn on the phone. There are many text messages from Mike, wanting to know how I am doing, if I’m okay, how did I manage to escape from the fire. I don’t feel like talking to anyone right now. I can’t believe Baba called Adam to ask about me. Does that mean he cares? But why didn’t he talk to me? I don’t want to ask Adam about it. I hear him talking to me from the closet.

  “Have you decided what to wear this evening?” I never thought about it. I had planned to wear the dress he’d bought me for the opera, but since I don’t have that any more, I will have to thi
nk about it.

  It is already two in the afternoon, and since it is Christmas Eve, the stores will probably be closing within a couple of hours. I follow his voice and enter the closet. He looks at me, smiling.

  “You know what are you going to wear tonight?” How does he manage to be so gentle with me, even when I ruin the moment? He glances at my clothes and pulls out one dress. “What do you think about this?” It’s a beautiful black lace shimmery gown.

  I’ve noticed he likes lace on women’s clothes. I don’t know if he has chosen this or not, as he was with me all the time. On my weird look, he answers my question without my even asking.

  “Natalia was capable enough to arrange for a few evening dresses. You have more. Try them on and let me know if you find anything suitable to wear, otherwise, we will go to the mall right away, before it closes.” Suitable? This closet is worth more than a hundred thousand dollars, and he is asking me if I’ll be able to find anything suitable to wear? I feel like he has put the whole damn store in here. I don’t deserve all these riches.

  “This is beyond my expectations, Adam. You didn’t have to spend—”

  “Sshhh…” He places his finger on my lips. “You are still in the king’s chamber, and this is a part of the king’s generosity.” He smirks at me seductively. So the moment is not lost at all. “I like to see you wearing all these beautiful gowns. Now try some on and let me know which one you plan to wear.” He starts to gently rub my lower lip with his fingers. “You are very beautiful, Rania, but tonight I want you to look the way I see you. Would you dress up tonight, only for me?” I keep looking into his eyes, which are filled with a burning desire and perpetual passion. I have not dressed up for anyone before. “You might not know it, but there are almost three hundred people coming to the party, very famous people. I’m bringing a lady with me for the very first time. It will be our first public appearance as a couple.” I nod my head, agreeing with him. He smiles again at my acceptance and takes a few steps back. “I have called someone to pamper you, before you get ready. They will be coming shortly. We have to get to the party around six.” People to pamper me? What does that mean? “In the meantime, decide what you want to wear. I just want you to imagine me tonight, when you get ready. That’s it.”

  He leaves me alone in the closet. Is this some kind of test for me? He wants me to look good, only for him. How do I do that? I have to come back here to his chamber, after the party, and I have a gut feeling that things will steam up again in this room, once we are alone.

  I wander in his closet, wondering where to start. Of course, he wouldn’t do anything against my will, I know that, but what if I want it too? What if I melt in his arms and let myself flow with him? I cannot imagine touching the forbidden fruit. No way!

  I put all the wild thoughts aside and decide on the black dress he just picked for me. I try the dress on inside the closet, but decide not to show it to Adam until tonight. I don’t want to ruin the surprise. The black Valentino lace dress fits perfectly. I take it off before Adam returns, and pick up a Chantelle black lace bra with matching panties.

  Natalia certainly has a good taste. I open the rest of the drawers, under the lingerie section, and am surprised to find out that he has even got me matching sandals, boots and bags. From Jimmy Choo to Christian Louboutin, I have everything in this closet, from pumps to wedges, from handbags to clutches, from Burberry to Fendi, from YSL to Gucci. When he said he wants to place the world at my feet, only if I will trust him, was he talking about this generosity? I pick up shimmery Christian Louboutin high-heeled sandals to match the shimmers in the dress, and select the black Fendi clutch to go with them. It is like a freaking shopping mall inside the closet, with no price tags. There are some high-end European brands that I’ve never even heard of, or rather, it was beyond my reach to even think about them.

  I open the corner-most drawer, just beside the mirror, and am amazed to find the accessories to go with the clothes. There are boxes of Hermès, Chanel, and other high-end brands for scarves, hair accessories, watches and jewelry. I open each and every box, admiring the selection, and wondering about how costly they are. It is good that none of them have price tags, otherwise, I wouldn’t have accepted them, but I know this is all damn pricy. I was never a designer freak, but when I look at these precious things, I can relate to the feeling that money does buy happiness. These riches are making me happy. But I always wanted to earn these things on my own. What did I do in the past, to deserve Adam as my gift? I feel like I am using him, which takes the excitement from me. I never wanted things like this from someone else’s pocket.

  I hear a knock at the door. “Can I come in, Rania?” he asks me gently.

  “Yes, please.” I gather everything, while he steps inside the closet. “Is there anything wrong?” He looks at my worried face.

  “No, umm… I…” I have no words to say it. “Adam, this is too much—I’m sorry, but I can’t accept all this. You need to return these—”

  “Sshhh…” He puts his fingers on my lips again to cut me off. “I told you this is my way of showing I care. Please, let me do it. Don’t take this feeling away from me.” He pauses for a moment. “When I look at you now, alive, in front of my eyes, I don’t desire anything else, Rania. You are all I want, no more, no less.” He looks down at my arms, holding the dress and undergarments, and smiles at me. “I can’t wait to see you wearing all this for me.”

  And I can’t wait to tell how much I love you, Adam. Yes, I will tell you tonight after the party that I do love you. I will tell you everything about me tonight. It will be up to you to love me back or leave me. I will accept whatever you choose for my fate.

  “What?” He smiles at me with tenderness. “What are you thinking?”

  “Umm… nothing.” I look down with confusion, hoping he didn’t read my eyes. I have to open my heart to him, myself, not through my eyes.

  “Some ladies are here waiting for you. Please, come down.” He takes my hand and exits the closet, taking away my things and placing them on bed. We reach the living room, where two ladies are waiting for us. I still don’t understand why they are here.

  “Hello, Miss Rania. It’s an honor meeting you. I am Cynthia, your makeup and hair artist, and this is Emma, your masseuse and aesthetician.” I shake hands with them in astonishment. I look toward Adam, who is smiling at me. “We were requested by Mr. Gibson to pamper you and help you get ready for the party tonight.” She looks toward Adam. “Mr. Gibson, we would appreciate if you could let us know where to set up?”

  “Oh yes, please, follow me.” Adam starts walking, taking my hand in his. The two ladies give each other strange looks. He leads them to his bedroom. “You can start your work in our bedroom. All Miss Rania’s belongings are here.” Our bedroom? He looks at me. “I know I owe you a foot massage from Winnipeg airport.” He winks at me. He still remembers that? “I will get ready in the other room. You carry on and enjoy your treat.” He kisses my forehead, leaving me with these two girls.

  My royal treatment starts with waxing, scrubbing and a relaxing massage. Surprisingly, they have brought the whole spa with them. Within a couple of hours, I am massaged, scrubbed, polished, waxed, even manicured and pedicured. One of the ladies shapes my eyebrows, and after all the basic treatments, they ask me to put on the dress that I intend to wear tonight. I put on my black dress and sit in front of Adam’s grand dresser. The ladies treat me as if I am a princess, getting ready for a royal ball. The makeup and hair have done wonders for me. I can’t believe how gorgeous I look after this treatment. Adam knocks at the door around six in the evening, to check if I am ready.

  THE ROYAL BALL

  ♂

  I sneak into the bedroom, where I find my princess getting ready for me. I’m stunned to see the beauty in front of me. Holy fuck! She looks so damn hot. Emma and Cynthia wait for my response, as I walk toward Rania. She has always looked wonderful to m
e, no matter how she’s dressed, but tonight she looks like an enchantress who has been mistakenly dropped from Heaven, where only perfection resides. She looks so pure and divine that I can’t even dare to give her a sexy look, or even touch her. Although, I want so much to rip off her dress right at this moment and make love to her passionately, to take her to the level where only ecstatic fantasies flow.

  This is the first time I’ve seen her in a black dress. The color matches her eyes and hair. Cynthia has tastefully styled her hair, giving her the look of a seventeenth-century queen. My flashing smile to Rania informs both the ladies that I am more than satisfied. They probably have read the intensity in my gaze, and they take no time to pack up their belongings and exit the room. Rania thanks them for their marvelous effort, but I’m so awestruck I don’t even look at them. They close the door behind them, leaving us in complete privacy. Did she truly imagine me, while she was getting dressed? Does she love me the way I love her?

  Rania is still sitting in front of the dresser, but I’m sure she can see the wildness in my gaze. I stand behind her, looking at her beautiful reflection in the mirror. She smiles at me kindly, her eyes sparkling like onyx. I kneel down behind her to come down to her level, but don’t take my eyes off her in the mirror. I place my hands on her shoulders and whisper the poetic words of William Wordsworth in her ear.

  And now I see with eye serene

  The very pulse of the machine;

  A Being breathing thoughtful breath,

  A Traveler between life and death;

  The reason firm, the temperate will,

  Endurance, foresight, strength, and skill;

  A perfect Woman, nobly planned,

  To warn, to comfort, and command;

  And yet a Spirit still, and bright