On The Run

We were lucky my house loan was approved and I managed to purchase the house. Sara insisted on painting it so for a week she was busy with the painters until she got it done the way she wanted. We moved in with our furniture from the apartment and were planning to go out furniture shopping gradually. Tamara's room was all pink with wall paper borders of cartoon characters . Her room was next to ours and we wanted to train her to sleep on her own and at night we kept the child monitor on. The living room was all pearl color to match whatever furniture we will buy in the future , Sara was busy arranging and fixing the house. Rana moved temporarily with us until she sorts out herself. I was not that happy because I felt Rana was a bad influence on Sara.

Sara did not visit my parents as she used to . One day we were invited to my aunt's house for dinner and she did not want to go , somehow I managed to convince her to attend but throughout the evening she was in a foul mood. Shemsa asked me what was wrong with her and I told her I had no clue. When we got home she started arguing and said I that i spend to much time with my family that in their country when one is married he visits his family once a week only. I told her that visiting our parents is our customs and I love seeing them everyday if possible. She accused me of giving them a lot of respect a lot of time etc etc .She accused me of not having a personality, that I was my family puppet and still needed breast feeding from my mother. Wow she has gone bananas, I wondered if she was bipolar. I told her that I was holding a very high position and had the privelage of having business meetings with the top business men and influential government employees. The respect and love for my parents does not make me a puppet ,I have seen how she shouts at her mother . Finally she said that we would get divorced soon. I told her to stop talking rubbish . She kept on arguing all the way home . The next day she did not talk to me and for a whole week she was in a bad mood , either wants to fight as soon as I come in or would not talk to me. The atmosphere at home was tensed and I moved out of our master bedroom and went to sleep in the guest room . This did not please her and she would follow me just to argue. When I come back from work there wasn't lunch for me and when I asked the maid she said madam told her not to cook.That evening we were invited for dinner at..... For my sister's birthday but she refused to go. My parents and sister inquired about her and I told them she was in a bad mood. That was Thursday night.

We woke up the next morning and she took the maid's phone and insisted on going to the supermarket to get a philipina to translate her messages because she felt that the maid was sending messages to my mother's maid. I told her not to lower herself to the level of the maid and you cannot stop her to talk, if you do not want her just release her. She got very angry with me and got into a heated argument, she said that I always kept my family first and she was fed up with our marriage and she walked out. Rana had left our house a few days before so I thought she was most probably going to her place.

I thought I will let her cool down and she will come to her senses. After three days she sends a message to my mother saying "keep my daughter ready I am coming to collect her tomorrow". My mother answered her to discuss with me as she did not want to interfere.
She sends another message telling her that she did not want to talk to her but only wanted her daughter, my mother did not answer her.

Later she calls me to send her our daughter and I told her if you have left the house you will not get Tamara. She told me that she will show me who she is and what she will do.
I was wondering what can Sara do to me?

After one week I got a court order to hand over Tamara to Sara. I thought that it was very unusual as we were not divorced , secondly she walked out. I went to talk to the judge and explained to him that she had no family here most probably she is staying with her sister who is divorced so why should I give her my daughter. The judge's justification was that since the child is still young she has to be with her mother.

I decided not to hand over my daughter . One day I decided to leave work early and was going to leave through the main door when I saw a white land cruiser with tinted windows and tinted  windshield  .I stood  by the door looking at the car for a minute  and nobody came out. I suspected they were CID so I went  to my car  through the back door   and  I noticed one car parked near the gate of the car park complex. As soon as the gat bar was raised I exhilareted ,spinned the tyres and drove off, three cars were chasing me and I pressed on the pedal until I felt the mazarati was not moving anymore and when I looked through the rear mirror there were no longer there, thank God I lost them . I stopped at a public car park and left the car and called my friends to pick me up.But where will I go now? Are they going to have road blocks every where, I never dreamt that there will be a day in my life that I will be on a "wanted list".

Celebrating Idd

Idd lunch was awesome at my grandmother's house. Maybe they were hundred people aunties, uncles,cousins, nieces, nephews, friends and neighbors . We had my grandmother's famous lamb biriyani though she does not cook anymore she supervises the cooks, she is in the kitchen from 6 am. We admire her ,mashalla a lady in the nineties sitting in the kitchen for hours even ;the younger women could not do it.

The children played games and were given gifts and adults were chatting and laughing. It was a wonderful day that we all look forward to every Idd. Sara and myself decided not to join the others for dinner as we were kind of tired and just wanted to lay back and rest.We had family lunch at my parents house on the second day but there were less people,  my mother catered the food outside she did not want to bother herself in Idd. We planned to go out for dinner with Shemsa and her husband, Rana and her husband and two other cousins. It was a lovely evening everybody was in a good mood. My beautiful wife looked gorgeous as usual I could not stop looking at her. When she was in a good mood her good  vibes are infectious.

We decided to take the children to Ferari World in Abu Dhabi the next day and i decided to spend the night with my family  at Emirates Palace hotel.  We drove to Abu Dhabi about noon and went straight to   Ferari World,Yas Island.The older children had a blast in the evening we had dinner at Yas Hotel and viwed the famous Formula One track.Later the others returned to Dubai and we proceeded to Emirates Palace hotel. It was Sara 's first time to see the hotel and she was overwhelmed by the grander and splendor of the hotel. We checked in and went straight to our room. The rooms were beautiful too, jacuzzi in the bathroom best place to relax, private beach and beautiful gardens.

Next say i went swimming with my lovely daughter at the adventure pool with water falls and she had on a pink stripped Ralph Raulen swimming suit. She looked so cute , and she loved the water. Sara went to the Spa for a massage and to pamper herself. Later we drove around to see the new developments of Abu Dhabi ,went to Reem Island drove around to Sabornne University and admired the new high rising buildings. There is a lot of construction still going on but once it is finished the island will be beautiful . We drove to Mina Zayed to the new Sheikh Khalifa Highway to Sadiyat Island .We stopped at the Sadiyat Beach Golf Club to have drinks and went to the show houses and St Regis .

We drove back to Dubai in a good mood.We had plans to buy a four bedroomed villa in Barsha  and were waiting for a bank loan approval. I explained to Sara that our finances will be tight and she will have to learn to live on a lower budget. She promised to cut down on unnecessary expenditure and  fully supported the idea of buying our house.She even said that she will furnish it gradually.I was very happy that she was very understanding and we drove home discussing our house to be and whether to have one room as a gym or a library.

That night Tamara developed high temperature so both of us  hardly had any sleep. We slept in late only to be awoken by cries and screams of Rana , for a second I thought my friend Rasheed died of a heart attack, had I not warned him to take it easy. Poor guy was taking ginseng and royal honey to keep up with his young wife. I sighed with relief when she screamed that he divorced her and went back to Noha.  What goes around comes around ,  Noha prayers were answered maybe those trips to Bahla worked.

Ramadhan with the family

Ramadhan was approaching everyone was busy buying foodstuff, all supermarkets were full with people pushing trolleys full of foodstuff. You will think that there was a public announcement of an impending food shortage. My mother was one of the culprits going around shopping until our freezers and fridges were all full. I never could understand this mentality, everything is abundant why do we have to stock all the foodstuff enough to feed an army.

Sara did not have to qeue in the shops as all Ramadhan we had iftar at my parents home. My parents had open house policy in Ramadhan Many of our  relatives and friends came for Iftar . The atmosphere was beautiful, we broke our fast and prayed Maghreb prayers and later the ladies and men went to the near mosque for Isha and Taraweh prayers.As malls and cafes are opened till very late  the young  ones go shopping or to cafes for drinks or sheesha. Unfortunately sheesha has become the thing in this part of the world.

On the 10th of Ramadhan it was Tamara's first birthday so my friends and cousins brought their children and we had a birthday party for her. Her mother dressed her in a light green cute dress and she had  a  paper birthday hat . She was helped to cut her cake by her older cousins and all the little ones had a blast playing outside in the garden . Tamara gota lot of gifts ,push cars, dolls,prams etc.

After Ramadhan it was Sara 's birthday. We planned a surprise party at . Nobus restaurant . My friends arrived before Sara came, and she walked in with Shemsa and she was surprised to see all our friends. w We had a lovely dinner and Sara  received many birthday gifts i bought her a diamond and pearl jewelry set. She was very happy that most of our friends were there to celebrate her birthday.

Next day ,my mother 's Philippine maid came to inform her that Tamara fell down and her eye was bleeding. She got this information from Sara's maid. My mother called Sara to check on Tamara and she said she was rushing to the hospital. After half an hour she called Sara to check on Tamara who said they were transferred to an ENT specialist. My parents were very concerned and drove to the hospital to check on Tamara .Luckily her eye was not damaged but she had a scratch on her cornea  and according to the doctor it will heal with time. Sara told my mother that she will get rid of the maid as she was irresponsible and secondly she was giving out their secrets. My mum was surprised what secrets do they have? She told Sara it was an accident and she did not do it on purpose and thank God Tamara is ok.

The maid calles my mum to inform her that Sara slapped her and pushed her and she had bruises on her face and chest. In addition she  threatened to take her to the police for harming her daughter and would kill her if anything happens to Tamara.The maid said she did not want to work with them anymore. In the evening my parents came over to check on Tamara and the maid complained to them about Sara beating her. My mother took Sara aside and told her that abusing maids was not acceptable and she could revenge on Tamara . Also the  maid could report her to the police . My mother advised her to release the maid since she does not trust her with her baby. Sara did not want the maid but at the same time did not want to release her because she knew that she would not be able to take care of Tamara and do cooking and cleaning.An agreement was reached were the maid  stayed temporarily until a substitute was recruited. This would be  her fourth maid

When my parents left Sara was in a very bad mood she said she did not want anyone to interfere in her life and she had the right to decide when to tell my parents if Tamara is hurt or sick or hospitalized. She will inform them when it is suitable for her. Also she will not send her new maid to my parents house. I told Sara you can do what you want but this will be the last maid i will bring for you. When my mother called the next day to check on Tamara ,Sara told my mum that she will decide when to tell her anything regardingTamara. My mother was surprised at her behaviour. Her reasoning was that  she did not call her mother who was abroad, my mother explained to her that they have always been here for Tamara  and they loved her a lot and as grandparents they should be told if she is hurt ,they were there to support them and most all to pray and read duas for Tamara to get better.

Tamara's accident was a turning point in my relationship with Sara. She started complaining about my parents interference, she talked to two of my aunt's that my mother had no right to know anything until she herself tells her etc etc. My mother decided that  from now on she will  have her life and not sit and babysit for them whenever they decide to drop Tamara she demanded to be given advance notice.I could see that the relationship between my mother and Sara had got sour but my mother welcomed her whenever she went home and did not show her that she disapproved her attitude.

The last few days Sara had iftar at Rana's and she was always moody. Most probably Ramadhan was wearing her down. I did not give it much thought I figured soon it will be Idd and every thing will be fine.

Shemsa' Wedding

Life was not the same for me and my friends ,we were consumed with anger at what Rasheed did and we felt that we failed Noha. I decided to take a two week vacation and we left Tamara with my parents and Sara and I went to Sri Lanka. We got a private tour and had a driver take us around to the different places in Sri Lanka. We went to Nuwara Eliya where the local people call it 'Little England' because of how cold it would get and the fact that it was surrounded by tree plantations. We took a car up to the mountains and did an 11km hike to a place called the worlds end. After that we made a quick stop at Kandy and Yala National Park. That was one amazing experience waking up at Yala, we had monkey jumping on our roof of the hut we stayed in.

We came back relaxed and happy.As soon as we got back Sara wanted to change our bedroom and living room furniture .I thought this was absolutely crazy, our furniture was new and in excellent condition. She kept nagging for days and one day I could not take it anymore and we ended up having a heated argument. She was very upset so she packed her things and took Tamara and went to stay with her sister. She stayed there for a week and I did not call her nor did she call me , though I missed Tamara terribly I did not go to see her. My parents tried to persuade me to go and bring her back but I was so mad that I was having second thoughts about my relationship with Sara. I wondered whether she loved me or was it my money? The more i gave her the more she demanded. I got tired of being used or my wallet being abused. She always compared what this lady or that lady received as a monthly allowance from her husband and the expensive gifts they got to make me feel bad. I started to realise that she was a lot more materialistic than I had originally known and she was never content with what she had.

I went to Rana's house to see Tamara and Sara came over and talked very sweetly to me. She never seized to charm me, she is a beautiful woman and can be as sweet as honey when she wants to be.
By the end of the evening Sara and my cute baby came home . It was lovely to have them home . We put Tamara to sleep and went to our bedroom, it was an amazing night, whoever said distance makes the heart grow fonder was absolutely right.

My family was busy arranging Shemsa's big event, relatives and friends came over from all over the world. They had a big henna party at home. A reputable DJ was hired for the event . The theme was Indian and my sister wore a beautiful purple and green outfit which had gold embroidery. To complete the outfit she had matching Indian jewellery including the piece on her forehead . She looked gorgeous . My younger sisters and cousins wore saris . The groom family came together singing and dancing and one of the ladies carried the henna in a silver henna container on her head. I heard the thing she was so high that it touched our chandelier. Then they put henna on Shemsa and threw money on the tray. This was just ceremonial because Shemsa already had henna done on her arms and legs .The ladies danced and were served dinner in the garden and the party went on till two in the morning.

After two days Shemsa had her wedding ceremony at the Atlantis. The hall was done like a tent and it completely covered with white material, the backstage was all black with led lights and there were white rose chandeliers coming down . The table clothes were all white with tall vases of white hydrangeas and white roses .Scattered around the hall were lighted trees covered with jasmine and nargis, the whole hall smelled amazing. These flowers were specially ordered by my father from India. The chairs were wrapped in gold bows and gold chargers or under plates were placed on the tables. The sitting was for one thousand guests.The light effects were absolutely great. Singers such as Hussein El Jasmi and Rashed Al Majed were present at the wedding and Shemsa looked stunning with her Elie Saab gown, she looked perfect just like a princess. She wore crystal studded Louboutin high heel shoes accompanied by chandelier diamond and pearl earrings with a matching necklace. She walked in with three bridesmaids and three page boys.Sara wore a sea green embroidered dress by Channel which was very flattering and she looked gorgeous. The wedding was great, delicious food,wonderful music the whole ambiance of the wedding party was fantastic. I would know because us men sneaked in with the groom and stayed for the rest of the party. Of course a lot of the older women walked out as soon as the bride and groom cut the cake.

The following day Shemsa and Sultan went for their honeymoon to the Maldives. My parents were delighted that Sultan decided to move to Dubai and my father was busy pulling strings and arranging interviews for Sultan. With his educational background and experience it was not difficult to find him the right job.

With the wedding over and all the overseas guest gone life went back to its normal routine, Sara was out most of the time with her sister, either they'd go shopping or go out for coffee. She would usually drop Tamara at my parents and leave her there for hours but my parent were always happy to have her around so were very delighted with the amount of time they spent with their grandchild.

Rana was expecting her first baby so she was busy shopping for her baby. Unfortunately Rashid divorced poor Noha. None of us could prevent it as he was blinded by his love for Rana and she had him wrapped around her fingers and he would do whatever she wanted. We all believed he was bewitched by her , this was not love she had him under her spell.

Torn between two women

The following day I was busy at work and had a meeting in Abu Dhabi. By the time I got back it was pretty late because I had dinner with the clients at Shangri La. I got home and Sara was by herself , as Rana went out with friends. I advised Sara to have a talk with her sister about Rashid , I did not want her to be responsible for destroying their marriage, they had two sons.

After a few days I got a phone call from Noha and she told me what I dreaded to hear, she suspected that Rashid was having an affair with Rana . I calmed her down and promised to have a talk with Rashid. For a few days I could not get him as he claimed to be working late,  it was probably because he was preoccupied with Rana. Finally he made time for me and we met at a coffee shop and I had a serious talk with him about his affair with Rana.I got the shock of my life when he told me that he was madly in love with Rana and wanted to marry her.He said he loved Rana but still cared for his wife. I tried to reason with him that there was a big age gap between them, that she was immature, he told me that love had no boundaries and age difference was irrelevant , that being in love was the most beautiful thing in life . He was planning to go and propose very soon. I suggested that he inform his wife before making such a rash decision, Noha deserved to know the truth.

I had a talk with Rana but she was determined to get married to Rashid. I remembered the words of my grandmother ,she was so right about Rana. Noha was the last one to know, in fact when he left for the airport he left her a letter on the dressing table informing her that he was going to marry Rana and would be gone for a month. Noha was devasted, Sara felt very bad but could not face her. I talked to her on the phone and she was a nervous wreck.There was not much I could say  or do to help her. Noha did not give up easily she went to Bahla, in Oman, as she heard there was a guy who did witchcraft and hoped that she could win Rashid back. It was back and forth to Oman until she was exhausted, however nothing changed Rashids decision. When he got back, she asked for her divorce but Rashid refused to give her a divorce. He said he did nothing wrong, could afford to maintain her standard of living, and that nothing would change.She was very unhappy and if it was not for the support of her family and friends she may have become clinically depressed.

My friendship with Rashid was no longer the same but I could not avoid him as he came home often with Rana . Rashid was obsessed with Rana, he could not stand anyone looking at his wife and eventually persuaded Rana to wear an abaya. Rana wore the abaya to please Rashid but whenever he was not around she went out without it. She still loved wearing her tight and revealing clothes though now with Rashid's money she was wearing designer clothes.
Rana seemed very happy but Rasheed looked exhausted most of the time and complained of chest pains . I was wondering if he was having mini heart attacks, I guess that is the price you pay for marrying a young woman.

Desert Trip

Our desert trip was scheduled on Friday so we got up early to pack. We had marinated meat and chicken so we put it in the Coleman with ice. I got a couple of sleeping bags and tents.My cousins and friends brought other food to snack on, dessert , fruits and drinks. Sara wore jeans, long top and a sheila while Rana had  tight jeans on and a very tight top exposing her beautiful breasts. She must be a size 36D , with her skinny frame the boobs looked extremely big because they were popping off her top . Rana had full gorgeous lips I call them Angelina Jolie's lips . Her eyes looked greenish today she must have worn coloured contact lenses, she has gorgeous hazel eyes I was surprised she wore coloured contact lenses. Over all she looked great. I looked at Sara, she shrugged her shoulders and rolled her eyes , I guess this meant that she was defeated and could not persuade Rana to change into something less revealing.

We got in my black land cruiser and drove to the meeting point , some people were already there and we were just waiting for my friend Rashid and his wife. We were all chatting and joking but I could see that the men could not keep their eyes of Rana . Thank God Rashid came within a couple of minutes and we drove off to Hatta. One of the guys was was a pro with dessert trips and we just followed him. We were all set to drive over the sand dunes. One of the guys drove ahead to check the dunes and then we followed until we reached the spot we usually camped at.

The men started the fire, some were setting up tents and the ladies brought coffee and dates. We all sat around chatting waiting for the barbecue. Then Rashid decided to drive on the dunes and show us his skills of mastering the car on the dunes. He later offered to take the ladies for a drive , all the ladies refused except for Rana. She got in the car and I heard Rashid's wife sizzling on my side.To save the situation, I too got in the car and we drove off for over half an hour,  with Rashid showing off and Rana screaming and laughing. I beckoned Rashid that it was time to get back and we returned to the camp site.

They were already barbecuing by the time we got back , others were playing cards and in one corner I saw Rashid having a heated argument with his wife. I was sure it was about Rana and I only hoped that the night would pass without any problems. We were a total of 10 people and we were all very close , we went to school together and have maintained our relationship through thick and thin . I was hoping that Rashid would not make a fool of himself and I really liked his wife Noha ,she was a lovely lady who was very kind and considerate.

After our meal the ladies cooked some chai karak and Arabic coffee. Somebody brought a date cake and within minutes it was gone. Later we played basketball and some ladies joined us and one of them was Rana. Sara and Noha just sat and watched us play. Rana was a good basketball player and it was great fun having her in the team. When we finished the game I sat with Sara and Noha, I noticed Noha was not in a good mood and I followed her gaze and lo and behold Rashid was standing and laughing loudly with Rana. I got up and went to them, I told Rana her sister was calling her and had a chat with Rashid. I told him that Noha was watching him and he should be careful because even innocent flirting could destroy his marriage.He laughed and thought I was crazy to think that he had a crush on Rana , he told me that she was young and immature and he was happy with his wife and loves his kids so would not do anything to harm his family. I figured it was easier said than done.

We sat out late at night counting stars and telling stories. We were all having a good time except for Noha , she looked miserable, though she sat next to her husband she realised he was bewitched by Rana. She hated this woman and could not wait for morning to come so that they could leave. The ladies slept in one tent and we slept in the other it was very cold at night, colder than we expected and most of us did not have sufficient warm clothes. When you are in town most of the time, you forget how cold it gets in the desert.

We woke up early morning and had the opportunity to watch  the sunrise. Breakfast consisted of boiled eggs,croissant ,bread ,foul and a variety of cheeses and olives.We then drove over the dunes one last time, most of the ladies preferred to wait at the campsite so we left one guy with the ladies and the others had fun driving on the dunes . Later, we had a light lunch of sandwiches and departed. The trip was great with the exception of the episode of Rana and Rashid .

Rana's Arrival in Dubai

We went to the airport to receive Rana , she was so happy to see us . It was her first trip to Dubai , we drove around to show her the highlights of the city . She was amazed to see Burj Khalifa and it looked beautiful with the laser lights . She was keen to try the metro, We went back home as Rana wanted to shower and freshen up after her long flight. We chatted for a little while then I left the two sisters alone to catch up on all family gossips.

I decided to go to sleep as I had to be at work the following morning. Luckily, it was the last day of the week and I was looking forward to the weekend. Sara called me several times that morning to tell me how happy she was, taking her sister to the malls and shopping and just having her sister around. I was very happy for her and started making plans for the weekend. We first went to introduce Rana to my parents and stayed for a while chatting, we then left to go to have dinner at Nobu at the Atlantis. I had invited some of our married friends to join us as well as some single guys including two of my cousins. Rana wore a beautiful red dress and I must admit, she looked stunning! As I predicted, all the guys including the married ones could not take their eyes off Rana and she knew it. Some of the wives were getting a little uncomfortable and even Sara was a little unhappy as she had always been the centre of attention and now everybody was engrossed in what Rana was saying.

Both my cousins were trying hard to engage Rana in long conversations but I caught Rana exchanging looks with one of my married friend. That worried me a little but I decided not to say anything to Sara. Probably it was just my imagination. The night ended very well and we decided to go home. However, some of my friends suggested an overnight desert trip on the weekend and we agreed to make plans for it the next day. Rana was very excited, Sara not so much as she had always told me how she did not enjoy such trips.I thought this would be very interesting and wanted to see what would happen. Would Sara join us this time or let us go without her?

The following day Sara and her sister were invited for lunch at my parents house , we agreed that I will meet them after work . Rana wore tight black legging and an animal print short top. Sara told her that that outfit is not appropriate to go to her in laws. Rana told Sara that she is not the daughter -in-law and will wear what she liked . They got in a heated argument but Rana was very stubborn and did not want to give in. Sara was very embarrassed when she saw her mother in laws look of disappointment . Other aunties and cousins were already there all of them were surprised but after a few minutes they warmed up to her . Rana was very charming and is good at cracking jokes so in no time won the hearts of many ladies in the room .

Only my grandmother was not impressed and she warned my mother that this girl is bad news and she would bring a lot of problems and it would be better if her trip was shortened . My mother laughed it off  and put that thought aside as my grandmother just turned 90 and was becoming senile and had a wild imagination from time to time. One day she told us that one Sheikh had given her a lot of money but she forgot where to go to collect it. She gave us a detailed account of how she met the Sheikh when she hardly leaves the house. Worst of all she wanted us to send her to the Sheikh so for the last few days all of us tried to avoid her hoping this story like the others would soon be forgotten.

After work I went to my parents and Sara and Rana were still there chatting with the girls. As soon as I entered the house I got a lecture from my grandmother about Rana and I was only praying that she would not call her to tell her off face to face.

Shop till you drop

I woke up in the morning still exhausted but had to go to the office. In fact I had to attend a tender board and had a meeting with my VP. It was a long day and I finished work quite late and went home straight away. Sara was catching a cold and she was cranky. I called for some take away and sat down and watched a good movie . Sara slept half way through the movie and I put Tamara to sleep.Our maid was new and Tamara did not like her or maybe was not used to her. Sara selected her from an agent and got her locally. She was in her fifties and worked very slowly, however she was kind and liked Tamara. Whenever Sara complained about her I told her to be realistic as Joana was doing her best and everyone has limits and most important she loves our baby. When I told her to wake up in the mornings and check on our child instead of leaving her with the maid all the time she got really angry with me and did not speak to me for one whole day so I decided not to tell her anything .I was happier when Tamara was at my parents as they were with her all the time and did not leave her with the maid.

Shemsa wanted to go to Paris and shop for her wedding gown and other things . She was going to stay with my mother's sister ,her husband was a diplomat in France .She wanted to take Sara with her and of course I could not say no to my favorite ladies.Sara could not believe that she was going to Paris,it had always been her dream to go there.I moved in to my parents house with Tamara . It was easier then carrying her in the morning when I go to work. My parents were very happy to have her .

Shemsa and Sara enjoyed shopping in Paris , I was wondering who was shopping more because every so often I  would get messages from the bank when the credit card was used. Thank God Shemsa got her wedding dress and everything she needed. Shemsa took Sara to the Louvre Museum and went for dinner at the "Le 58 Tour Eiffel" restaurant at the first floor of Eiffel Tower. Then they took a cruise on the Sienne river to view monuments and see Paris by night . Next day Sara took a tour on the double decker bus to see the famous landmarks and in the evening went to the Opera. She was fascinated with Paris, she loved the restaurants and coffee shops on Champs -Elyse'ee Avenue. Sara came back with Louis Vuitton, Prada, Chanel and Gucci handbags,a few pairs of shoes and some evening dresses. I was glad they came back because at the rate Sara was going I was sure she would max my credit card. Having a wife is more expensive then I anticipated. At times I wished she worked so she will value money.

However, Sara is not the type of a woman who wanted to work,  she liked to sleep in late in the mornings and was not very outgoing. She believed that a womans place was at home and have her husband provide all her needs. I told her  that she should take the advantage of being at home and give quality time to our baby and not leaving the baby with the nanny but we never came to an agreement on this issue. I was hoping that one day she would change .

Trip to Mecca

I decided to go with Sara for Umra for a few days. Everything in our lives was going on well, we were very much in love and very happy, we were blessed with a beautiful and healthy baby so I thought it was best to go for Umra and pray and thank Allah for all the blessings.

We left Tamara with my parents and flew to Jeddah.From Jeddah we took a cab to Mecca and went to check in at Zam Zam hotel.It was Sara's first trip to Mecca. Sara was fascinated at the sight of the Grand Mosque . She was very emotional when she saw the Kaaba,she had goose bumbs on her skin and was crying uncontrollably.
We did Tawaf after Dhuhur prayers maybe the temperature was in the 50s. Amazing it was an easy Tawaf  we completed the seven circles reciting duas and asking Allah for forgiveness easily and we did not feel the heat ,when we finished Tawaf we prayed two rakas of salat near the Maqam -Ibrahim . We drank Zam Zam water..After that we went to do Sa'y walking back and forth seven times between Safa and Marwa. It was a struggle when were performing Sa'y we realized that we were very lethargic.
most probably from the intense heat. I felt dehydrated and Sara was dizzy.

Ellamdullilah we did it, if it was not for the heat it would have been very easy. We were extremely happy to have had this opportunity to be at this holy place.The spiritual feeling and the holy experience is indescrible. We went back to the hotel to freshen up and then we went out to eat and shop.Sara was amazed with the shopping in Mecca she bought a lot of presents for family and friends. Next day after fajer prayers we left for Jeddah and checked in at the Marriott. We rested a little and later went out shopping to the malls, Sara loved the abayas she bought many and some she took as gifts for my mother and sisters . It was a lovely weekend though it was hectic we felt really fresh and happy.

We were looking forward to going home and seeimg our baby, we really missed Tamara.When we arrived in Dubai we went straight to my parents to get our baby. She was very happy to see us and she kept saying "baba" .Mashalla she was cute and had this big smile all the time , big eyes and brown curly hair. Tamara was crawling every where , she started to stand up . She was pulling everything within her reach. She was a joy to my parents now all their days revolved around Tamara. They loved sleeping with her, they got a travel cot and when Tamara sleeps at their place they put the cot in their room. Sometimes she gives them a hard time to go to sleep but they are prepared to stay up late because of Tamara.Anything for their first granddaughter .
We had dinner at our parents and went back home exhausted.

Sara called her parents and was telling them about her experience in Mecca. Her parents wanted very much to go for Hajj but were having problems to get government approval as they have a quota for the number of people to perform Hajj, the government makes a draw of all applicants.So far they have been unlucky.

Sara was expecting her sister over for a holiday so she was very happy .I met her sister when I went to their home , Rana looks like Sara but is more beautiful and she carries herself very well.I was expecting that she would break some hearts in Dubai. I was eargerly waiting to see the reaction of my cousins.

Know what you want in life

Now I was back to my life of a married man,I missed my late nights out and my friends. Sara was happy to be back and Tamara grew tall though she lost a lot of weight. She was such a beautiful baby and very smart. She loved the computer and mobiles,she way my electronic baby.
Sara was very happy to be back and she lost all the extra weight and looked great. I could not wait to have her in bed. After lunch she put Tamara to sleep and came to hug me. I could not wait anymore I carried her to our bedroom .

We had a wonderful life together, there were a few arguments but most of the time we were a happy couple. I thought myself lucky as my best friend was having a hard time in his marriage and they were talking about divorce. Jaseem was married for five years . It was an arranged marriage and the first year they seemed very happy. I always thought they were a perfect couple but after they had their first son, problems started. Unfortunately the child was very hyper, violent, and was a slow talker. We all thought there was something wrong with the little one but his mother was in denial.She did not want to send him for an assessment to a child psychologist All advise and recommendation fell on deaf ears. In addition ,she did not allow Jaseem to take him for an assessment either . Jaseem was not allowed to discipline the child , when he did his wife would packs her bags and go to her parents.Sometimes they get into ugly fights and she demands a divorce. Both parents tried to advise them but it fell on deaf ears.Their relationship was rocky for three years . Jaseem lost interest in everything and gained a lot of weight. He spent most of his time at home and ate junk food. .We expected to hear of a divorce anytime.I really felt sorry for Jaseem he was in a lousy situation. I considered myself very lucky with Sara even though we had arguments divorce was not an option.

My younger sister Shemsa graduated from U.K and just started work. As is the norm in our culture she was expected to get married soon. Shemsa was a very independent lady and I knew she would not be pressured to get married to anyone for the sake of getting married. She rejected a few proposals and my parents were really angry with her as the guys were from good families,educated , good looking and they did not understand what Shemsa was looking for. After a while she got the courage to tell my mother that she met this wonderful Bahraini guy in UK and he wanted to come and propose. My parents were disappointed because they did not know the boy nor the family and did not like the idea of their daughter moving from the Emirates. They always thought she would get married to a cousin or family friend. Shemsa was very stubborn and she didn't accept NO as an answer. Our father called his friend in Bahrain to find out more about Sultan.After a few days his friend answered him that Sultan is from a very good family, educated, and holds a very good position in the government and is of good character. In fact he said he heard all good things about him.Now my father though not very convinced of his daughter marrying outside the family agreed to receive Sultan's family. Soon after a group of twenty men came to propose.

My mother ordered many plates of food such as salads and grilled meat . Also there were trays of different fruits and plenty of desserts.My father welcomed his guests warmly and they started chatting and laughing as if they knew each other well.After the meal the elder guy from Sultan's family made the official proposal on behalf of Sultan . My uncle who was the elder guy on our side thanked them for coming and told them that he will answer them shortly. This is just a procedure usually the bride's family does not answer yes straight away.Sultan came to greet our mum before he left and she liked him instantly, she told us he seemed a perfect gentleman and kind and of course he was tall and good looking. Our younger sister Leila and cousins wanted to see Sultan ,they had to be contented with watching him from the balcony when they departed.After one week my uncle called Sultan's family with the good news that our family has accepted their son's proposal.

After a few weeks Sultan's mother and aunties came over to meet my mother to get to know each other and discuss the marriage plans and set a date for bringing the dowry.This is usually a big event with a lot of ladies ,plenty of food and at times music and dance. After a few weeks they came back to bring the dowry and gifts. They brought huge wooden chests decorated with flowers filled with jewellery , perfumes,designer watches,designer handbags ,shoes , and expensive Arabic perfumes.

The chests were so heavy that two of our servants were called to bring them inside the living room. There were introductions from both sides, and the ladies were chatting and laughing and later dinner was served. After the dessert Sultan's mother and family left as they were tired and had a flight back to Bahrain.When the guests left Shemsa was called to take her dowry and open her gifts. It took hours to unwrap the gifts.
Shemsa was elated ,she was all smiles, at long last she will get married to the man of her choice, the man she loves.Sara was happy for Shemsa and they were busy whispering and giggling . For the next couple of months the ladies in my family talked about nothing but Shemsa's wedding.Now Shemsa was the centre of attention and not Tamara. Sara was engrossed with fashion catalogues as she was looking for something to wear for the many functions to come. Sara spent a lot of time with Shemsa as they went shopping together and this was an endless chore. I was happy to see Sara so excited and busy helping with wedding plans that i no longer got questioned about where I was, when I'd be home and this seemed to strengthen our relationship.

All Good Things Must Come To An End

The weeks following Tamara’s birth we received a lot of visitors and with that many gifts too. Tamara was wanting for nothing. My parents were so excited that they had a baby in the house again that they would buy two of everything like prams and bouncers, one for their house and one for ours.

I had to remind my family that the baby would grow very fast and that she would outgrow her clothes so they didn’t need to buy so many.

Sara was very happy with Tamara and loved the attention that they would both get from family and friends. Sara was worried that she would not lose the weight she gained as she had a caesarean operation and would not be able to exercise for a while. My mother devoted a lot of her time in helping Sara with the baby and also training the new maid. Our maid was from the Philippines , she was hard working and kind with the baby and we had ourselves very lucky to have her.

One morning we got up and the maid was nowhere to be seen, when Sara went to look for her , she was lying on the bed very stiff with her eyes rolling backwards and would not reply to anything Sara asked her. Sara called out for me and when I went to see her but she did not move or talk. We decided to call an ambulance and the paramedics examined her and took her to the hospital. At the hospital the doctor told us that the maid was suffering from depression. We were really shocked as she had seemed very normal for all the time we had her. There was a likelihood that she had a nervous breakdown before she came to work for us. We decided it was best to send her home.

This put Sara and I in a very tight spot as Sara had a lot of housework to do in addition to taking care of the baby. My mother helped us by sending us one of the maids from the family house to help out from time to time to help Sara.

I was very busy with work and sometimes came back late, this created a lot of tension with Sara. Although she knew that I loved her she became very suspicious and had these crazy ideas in her head that I was meeting a woman. I tried to put it off and thought she might just have lost her confidence because she gained weight and was finding it a great challenge to lose weight.

Baby Tamara was growing into a beautiful baby. At six months she started crawling, she was a happy baby mashallah who always had a smile on her face. She ate well and was an easy baby to look after. The only thing I disagreed with Sara about raising Tamara was the sleeping pattern .She did not believe in putting the baby to sleep at a reasonable hour  and sometimes would her awake past midnight. This caused us to have many arguments.

Steven a close friend of mine was getting married in Thailand and invited us to his wedding. I went to university with Steven. He came from a wealthy business family and I knew his wedding would be extraordinary so I convinced Sara to go and we left Tamara with my Parents. It was a wonderful 10 day break; the wedding was a three day event at Hua Hin a few hours’ drive from Bangkok. Steven arranged for a bus to pick up all the guests from Bangkok to Hua Hin. The wedding took place at Sofitel Centre grand resort and villas. All the guests were accommodated by the groom's family. It was three days of exotic food , dance ,shows ,and local bands. The last day 800 guests were invited and it was an all day event We had an amazing time , the bride and groom looked gorgeous in their local wedding attire. Everything good eventually has to come to an end so after the wedding we left to Phukhet for a few days. It was wonderful just Sara and I, we rented a motor bike and drove around the island, swam, and in general had a great time.

We had a lovely holiday and Sara came back tanned and happy. We were afraid Tamara would forget us but she was very excited to see us. Immediately after we got back Sara wanted to go visit her parents. I told her to wait for a few months as we had just comes back from a holiday and I recently got her a new Mercedes.  She was not happy with me and made my life miserable. She was being unreasonable and I started to see a new side of her, a side I did not know excited. She could be very nasty when she wanted to. She would yell at me telling me that I was selfish, that her father had not seen our daughter and that I didn’t want her to go home. She told me that I was ba5eel and all sorts of things. I tried to explain to her that it was an issue of money and not that I did not want her to go. All my reasoning went on deaf ears. I would come home to her sulking, rude, and a woman who was hard to live with.

It did not take long to see her other side as my father had told me. He was right, women can be very sweet when they want you but after that they just like to twist and turn you as they please. To make my life bearable I borrowed money from my father and sent her with the baby to her parents.

It was fun to be a bachelor again, I was out with the boys every night, and I did not realize how much I missed my friends and the care free life. Most weekends we were at spent with the guy’s weather it was to lounges or to camping in the desert.

Sara originally planned to stay with her parents for a month but after two weeks she decided it was time to come back. However, Tamara ended up catching something so they had to extend the holiday to what was planned originally. She was getting tired of taking care of Tamara and would call constantly to complain, back home she did not have the luxury of maids. To be honest,I did not mind her extending the trip as I was enjoying my freedom. One night she calls me and says that she would arrive the next day. I pretended to sound excited on the phone, said goodbye to my freedom and went to sleep early for a change.

Starting A Family

Sara got pregnant soon after we got married. She did not take pregnancy very well as she was tired all the time and was very moody. She did not like our traditional foods and mostly had no appetite. When she did, she would crave KFC. She started gaining weight quite rapidly and everyone thought it best to advise her to eat wisely. However, Sara ignored everyone’s advice.

 After two months I decided to throw a big party to introduce my wife to my friends and family members. I planned a wonderful dinner party at the Address Hotel. It was a small function of 200 people. Sara chose a beautiful white wedding dress by Monique Lhullier from Frost in Palm Jumeira. The dress itself cost 40,000 dirhams minus the shoes and jewellery. I spent more than I planned but I did everything to please Sara. The dinner was superb and everyone enjoyed it. She looked amazing in the designer gown but of course a few nosy relatives asked if she was expecting, as there are no secrets in our community.

We settled very well in our new flat. Once she knew that she was going to have a girl she started painting the room pink and buying clothes, bed and toys. We had an argument on choosing the name of the baby, I wanted to name her Hessa after my grandmother but she wanted to name her Tamara. My sisters also liked the name Tamara so that is the name we ended up choosing.

Sara’s pregnancy turned out smoothly except in the last few months when she became diabetic. The doctor thought it would be best to have a C section. Her mother and aunt came over for the delivery so on the big day we went to City Hospital. Because she was having the baby by caesarean I was not allowed in the operating room buy as soon as I got the call telling me that I was a father I rushed to go see my little girl and I cannot express the joy I had when the nurse put the baby in my arms. She was quite red and started crying, I held her right ear and recited the athan and handed the baby back to the nurse.

My sisters and brothers were overjoyed with the birth of their first niece that they brought huge pink balloons and placed them outside the hospital room door, ans Patchi chocolates, edible fruit baskets were gifts for visitors.

My parents were very excited; they slaughtered a lamb and passed it to the poor. Tamara was their first grandchild. They bought everything for the baby I hardly did any shopping. Sara came out of the hospital five days later and when we went home, our apartment was decorated with large pink balloons and had a loads of presents for Tamara.

Life was not the same for us any more we had sleepless nights, it was very exhausting. Her mother helped her in bathing the baby and baby-sitting in the day as she had to sleep throughout the night because she was on some sort of medication. Though they never told me I suspected the mother was suffering from depression was on antidepressant drugs. My relationship with my mother-in-law was civil but to be honest I did not really like her that much. I felt she was a bad influence on Sara. Before her mother came Sara did not mind if my sister borrowed her car yet when her mother was here it was a big issue .She told me she did not like to lend her car to anyone and that I always thought of my family first. I was surprised, I could not believe that she would act this way after all my family loved her and were always willing to do a lot for her. I was praying her mother would leave soon; I didn’t want us to fight anymore. It was a great relief to see her go, it’s not right to say that about your mother-in-law but that is how I felt. Her aunt was very sweet and I really liked her, I didn’t mind her coming to visit us again but the less I see of the mother the better.

Getting Married

Sara decided to fly home to talk to her parents about the proposal.  She told her parents that a local guy named Saeed wants to marry her , that he is from a good family,  has good manners ,and has a great job. Her parents made no fuss and they immediately agreed however there only condition was that they would like to meet me. She called me soon after and asked me to come and see them as she may not be able to take any more holidays off work for a while.

This put me in a very difficult situation as I had not approached the subject with my father and my mother was still totally against the idea. That very evening I had built the courage to talk to my mother again and if I was lucky enough to convince her then maybe she would help me talk to my father.

 When I first got home from work the house was in chaos and I thought it best to wait to talk to my parents as our Ethiopian maid Kadogo wanted to run away. It was our driver who saw her leaving the house with a bag who then alerted my mother. Her boyfriend promised to get her a job with a better salary. She refused to come back into the house as she was convinced that her boyfriend would marry her and she no longer wanted to work for us.  If only any one of us could have guessed who her boyfriend was. Her boyfriend turned out to be our 60 year old local neighbour. My mother thought this was very embarrassing and was too ashamed to tell his wife. We grew up with our neighbours and he had always seemed like a decent guy who had a family. His daughters were about the same age as the maid. My mother assumed he was going through his midlife crisis.

The police had to be called in to take her since she completely refused to come inside the house and was to spend a night in the police cell before she was deported home. That was the end of the affair for the old man.

It was Friday morning and I had gotten up early in the hopes of catching my parents at breakfast. I saw them sitting in the garden and having their favourite breakfast of fool with hot chillies and a spicy omelette. I wondered how they could digest such spicy food so early in the morning. I went to say my good mornings to them and kissed my mother on her forehead. They were in a very good mood and I knew that I would ruin their day with what I had to say but I convinced myself that the choice is mine and that it was I who was going to live with her. I had finally gotten the courage to tell them that I would marry Sara and that it was to happen soon.

“Which bar or nightclub did you pick her from?” My father asked me as he dropped his bread onto his plate. He then continued to speak to me in a very scary tone “You know very well what kind of a woman and from what families you are expected to marry.” He then asked me to close the subject and to find a wife that they would approve.

I was furious at him and told him that I would marry no one but Sara as she was the perfect wife for me. My father asked me what I liked about her and I told him it was her Personality, she was gentle and very soft spoken. He told me that this was all an act and that all women like to hide their habit and once you were caught, only then would their claws come out.

 My last hope was my grandmother, she was a wise woman and very kind, I explained my situation to her and she asked me to leave it to her as she would talk to my parents. Till this day I do not know what she told them but one morning I was told by my father to go and marry who I want but that I should not expect any wedding parties or any other sort of help as I had made my decision on my own even though I knew how he felt about it.

 I was cocky enough to tell him that I did not need any help from him and that we weren’t planning on having a big wedding.

Next day I took a week off from work and flew to meet the parents of my wife to be. I was met at the airport by Sara and her brother.  Her parents welcomed me very warmly.  They had a small flat outside the city yet it was very neat and their furniture was very simple.

Her father is a retired teacher and her mother is a housewife. I was offered tea and sweets as I sat with her parents. I was very nervous knowing that I would soon be asking her father for his daughters hand in marriage. As if on cue everyone left and I was left alone with her father. When I finally asked him he asked if my family approved of this marriage which I nodded to. Then he wanted to know if I had enough income to support his daughter, I assured him that I earned enough and would be able to keep his daughter very comfortable. He gave me his blessings and called his wife and children. They yabyabbed and kissed their daughter.

Before I knew it they were already planning for an engagement party. I was grateful that I had already gotten a diamond ring from DeBeers in Emirates Mall before I left. Earlier on Sara had showed me a white and pink diamond ring that she liked. I was shocked to find out that the ring cost a hundred and forty thousand dirhams but I got it for her because I knew it was what she wanted.

The engagement party was thrown at her uncle's house as he had a big villa. There were about 50 guests who mostly consisted of family. Sara wore a white traditional dress and looked gorgeous. Her father told me that we should get married soon as he did not like long engagements. I could not tell my parents that I was engaged as they would be shocked at the speed of this affair.

Soon after I flew back to Dubai I realized that I was no longer satisfied just being engaged and wanted to get married very soon as Sara was living alone in Dubai and had no family. I was to become her family and I did not like the idea of her living alone.

I told my parents that I planned to get married after a week, my mothers jaw dropped and she had tears in her eyes but I pretended like I did not see her tears. My father told me to get married in court as he would not invite anyone but my mum refused and said that she would organize a small wedding reception at home.

A few days before the wedding my mother and Sara met. After we left my mother had told me that she did not know what I saw in her as she was no malkat Jamal, that she was very plain and ordinary and that I could have gotten a local girl who would have been so much better as we would know more about where she had come from. I told her not to worry as Sara is better than 100 local girls.

Sara brought the same traditional gown she wore on our engagement to wear on the wedding yet my mother decided to tailor her a gown more suitable for the occasion and bought her some jewellery to match. Sara loved her dress once she saw it and thanked my mother.

I thanked God that things were finally working out between my mum and Sara. Although my mother did not like the idea of me marrying Sara she went out of her way to have a grand reception for us. She wanted to have the Imam come to the house and get us married instead of us going to the court as is the norm. I went to court and submitted all our documents and made an appointment for the imam to come home on the wedding day.

By seven p.m. on the wedding day family members started arriving, come eight and the Imam who was to perform the ceremony did not arrive and this made me worry , I called the Imam and when he finally answered  he said that he was in the hospital as he had a car accident and would not be able to come. I called the chief Kadhi and asked for a replacement and the next guy I was asked to call said he was too busy and could not come. Finally I was given a number of another kadhi who agreed to come. I was getting nervous as this was not a good sign.

After we were married and the night was over we went to spend a night at Qasri Sarab and the following evening we flew out to Koh samuii, Thailand.

We had our villa with a private pool, Sara was very excited, it was her first trip to the far east. We went sailing, jet skiing, boating, swimming etc,

Two weeks of fun, love and laughter. Our love blossomed I could not bear one minute away from her, she was my everything. I did not want our 

Honeymoon to end but I had to report back to work so we returned to Dubai a happily married couple.

As my marriage was rushed i did not have time to find an apartment and we stayed with my family whilst we went apartment hunting. My mother did her best to make Sara comfortable, but she was shy and spent most of the time in our bedroom. She would only come out when I was there. After two months we found a lovely two bedroom apartment at marina. Within a week we got our furniture, most of it was from Marina and the ONE and moved to our new place.

I was planning to find another job for Sara as I did not like the idea that she was working in the hotel. I was glad when she quit her job after a few weeks as she did not get on well with her boss. I was really happy about that and told her not to worry as I would find something better. I was a happy married man but little did I know that my happiness was short lived.

Evenings, Nights, and Sushis

I was busy calling all my contacts trying my best to find a job for Sara, but finding a job in Dubai was no longer easy. To add to that she just had an HND diploma and two years of working experience in the hotel industry back home. Dubai  is flooded with highly educated people with years of experience. It was a challenge to get her a job but I was optimistic that something would show up soon.

Sara was getting anxious as her visit visa was about to expire meaning that she would have to leave the country. I knew I had to find her a job soon as I could not imagine living without her.We started going out together every evening and I knew she was my soul mate.  

The following day a friend called me and said there was an advertisement for a job in the Monarch Hotel , the new hotel on Sheikh Zayed road. As soon as my phone call with my friend ended I made sure to call Sara and told her to rush there with her C.V. A few hours later she called me to tell me that she got a job as a receptionist but was disappointed with the pay package. However, I encouraged her to take the job as it would give her an opportunity to stay in the country and something better may eventually turn up. Even though rents had come down, with her salary it would have been difficult to have live comfortably so it was a great relief to find out that she had been given shared accommodation.

Our relationship was getting stronger, we met everyday and went to the movies , dinner,  sheesha, ,shopping, and the likes. We were inseparable , I made sure to call her every morning to wake her up, "7abeebti, you will be late for work, get up!", I tell her in the mornings.  Uyuni is what I call her , I tell her that she has the sweetest voice and that I rather listen to her voice than go to work. She giggles and blows kisses through the phone , I get up and make her promise that she will kiss me when we meet later on.

One night we were having dinner at a sushi restaurant, six months into our relationship, When I propose to Sara. She was surprised,  I'm assuming it was because she thought I would not marry her , after all I was a local and it was expected that I would marry a local girl, maybe one chosen by my family. I told her that she is the only one I wanted to share my life with and we decided to talk to our parents.

I waited for a good opportunity to bring it up to my mother. I knew it would not be easy and that she  would not be happy as she believed that I should marry a local girl and if I were to venture out of the UAE then at least  I should pick a girl from a GCC country. She believed that it was important, first and foremost to marry a muslim girl, who was educated , and came from the same cultural background as there would be less problems in the marriage.

I come home one day and saw that my mother was in a good mood and told her that I needed to talk to her. She looked up at me and said " Na3am 7abeebi Saeed, what do you have to say today?".
I was nervous but I knew it was best to get it out now.
''Well mama , you are always after me to get married , I have finally found the girl I want to marry'', I say to her.
She was excited, ''Who is this girl? from which family?" , She starts to bombard me with questions.
This is it, I think, wondering how to continue.
I tell her that she is not a local girl but is still an arab. I was talking quite fast as I was quite nervous.
My heart started to beat faster as I continued. I did not like to annoy my mother, I loved her a lot and this was not going to be easy for either one of us. I explain to her that I met Sara a few months ago and that she is a beautiful girl, has a lovely character, quite charming and everything one would what in a wife.

My mother was shocked, "over my dead body ,if you are to stay single for the rest of your life then let it be, I will not accept this girl "she said to me. She explained to me that the girl is not from this area so there will be differences in culture and in background , that she is not educated , as to my mother an educated person is one who at least has their bachelor degree , and that we would not have similar thoughts and values because of this.
She was really upset with me and started crying. I did not know what to do, it was really painful to see  my mother in this state. I decided not to argue with my her and to go back to her with this at another time.  I then wondered how my father would react to this news as he is very set in his ways and very old fashioned so this would shock him even more.

The next day I decided not to bring up the subject with my mother . I thought it best to let her cool down as I did not want to trigger her blood pressure and for a while I thought my mother had forgotten about my intentions of marrying Sara. However , my mother was busy calling my aunties and her friends to try and look for a suitable wife for me.
My favourite aunt Fatma calls me for lunch at her farm on friday. I could not decline her invitation but this meant that my boating trip with Sara had to be cancelled and just like a dutiful nephew I go to my aunt's farm on friday and low and behold the place was full with people. I went to salim the men first and then went to look for my aunt. She was sitting in her favourite reclining chair and welcomed me warmly. I sat down with her for a while and she introduced me to one of her friend's daughter.

Elyaziya was unusually tall maybe six foot, very pretty, with a deep dimple on her right check . She studied law and was working for an oil company in Abu Dhabi. As soon as she left my aunt called me back over to her and asked what I thought of her. Isn't she gorgeous? Would you like to marry her? She asks me.

It immediately clicked that the purpose of this lunch was for me to meet Elyaziya.  My mother was busy scheming, she wouldn't let go of her idea of getting me married off to who she wanted. I thanked my aunt but told her that I already had someone in mind and anyways Elyaziya was too tall for my liking. My mother and aunt did not stop there, they made lunches, dinners, tea parties all with one intention, that of finding me a bride. I was not interested in any of them as my heart lay with Sara. I gave all kinds of excuses for not liking the girls they showed me telling them stuff like one looked too much like her brother, she didn't look down to earth, she wasn't pretty enough. I was hoping that they would tire out of their game soon enough...

The Beginning

I made my way to Buddha Bar Lounge in Dubai to enjoy a nice dinner and to chill with a few friends of mine. I was enjoying the music when I looked across the table and made eye contact with this beautiful woman.She had  round hazel eyes,shoulder length brown hair ,and fair complexion. She wore a red top with jeans, and was carrying a red Channel handbag.She was sitting alone , for a second I wanted to get up and join her but I thought it was best not not rush it.Our eyes met again and this time she had a slight smile on her lips. She looked away after a minute or two and for a while even though I kept a look out for her I could not find her in the crowd.

On my way out  I saw her again, I couldn't believe my luck when I saw sitting with a few colleagues of mine from work. When they saw me, they called me over to their table and I went to say hi. We chatted for a bit catching up with what was new before they introduced me to the beautiful girl I saw earlier.She gave me a big smile and I felt my heart melt.

It seems that she had just arrived in Dubai and was looking for a job. I thought this was my chance so I gave her my business card and told her to call me and I would try my best to find her a job. The job market in Dubai was getting more difficult as a lot of projects were on hold. A couple of years back Dubai was a city of great opportunities any Tom ,Dick ,or Harry who lands here would have gotten a job. Once one foreigner gets a job he or she will get wasta for his friend or family member, they come here on a visit visa and boom get a job with a fat cheque and then nobody wants to leave.

Dubai is a great city, best malls in the world,  great choice of high class dining whatever your appetite desires you will find it in this cosmopolitan city. If you are a Sushi addict you will find the best here maybe even better than Japan, if you are craving for Chinese, Lebanese, Vietnamese etc it is all available everything depends on your budget. The nightlife is on par if not better.

Sara, I will name the beautiful lady as I cannot reveal her real name, called me the next day and wanted to visit me in my office so she could bring in her resume and discuss with me the kind of job she would like. I was over the moon with excitement. I could not concentrate at work as I could not wait for her to get here.  After a few hours,  she was escorted to my office by the security guy. I get up and shake hands with her, she has this beautiful smile on her face revealing white perfect teeth. Her eyes look lighter today, it could have been because of the way the lights were reflected in my office. I ask her to sit down and offer her a choice of tea or coffee.

When we start chatting,  she had this sweet voice and laughed quite often, she was definitely a very charming lady. Yet again I remind myself to take my time with her, however, the other half of me wants to hold her tight and seal her lips with mine.
She gives me her resume and she says that she will like to work in tourism or hotel management. I promise her that I will do my best to get her a job and I invited her for dinner at Nobu at the Atlantis hotel.


We met at 8pm, I wore my green and white stripped Ralph Lauren t-shirt with my black trousers. I sprayed myself with my favourite perfume, YSL, got my keys for the Maserati and left the house. I was living with my parents and siblings who consisted of two sisters and two brothers in a big villa in Al Barsha. Being the eldest I was supposed to be the role model for my siblings. So far I have met the expectations of my parents and have graduated with a B,A, and M.A. from the States, got a very good position in a government organization with an excellent pay and very good prospects in my job. At the same time I was helping my father with his business as I was his right hand and he expected me to do my part. My mum is a beautiful, educated woman but is very traditional and conservative. Quite unexpected for someone who was educated abroad. She was very strict with me when I was growing up but I guess age has caught up with her and she is a lot more lenient with my younger brothers and sisters.

I reached the restaurant fifteen minutes late, I cursed myself for being late I should have taken into account Dubai's traffic, a lot may say it has gotten better after the crisis but to me it is still the same. People may have left but I am certain that the same number of people have made their way to Dubai. Nonetheless it is what keeps the city busy and exciting.

Once I walked into the restaurant, it was a great relief to see that she had not arrived. I got a table in a quiet corner  and a few minutes later she walked in with a big smile, I got up to greet her and showed her our table. We chatted about everything under the sun, she told me that she comes from a big family and that she was the third in line. Her father is retired and though they are not rich they are comfortable. However, she came here to work to help her father and maybe get enough money to buy her parents a flat in her home country. I thought that she was a very kind woman who was very concerned about her parents and I was really impressed. After all I had great respect for my parents  and to me family is very important and they always come first.We had a lovely evening and I realized that I was falling for Sara, she was everything that I wanted in a woman.

September 23

I was at the office even though I knew it was a hot spot. Security had already come by to tell me that the CID was here yesterday looking for me. They had asked security what car I drove and lucky for me security had told them they didn't know.

I had to just finish a few things off and had stopped for a moment to take a look outside my window when I noticed a few white Nissan patrols with dark tinted windows. A guy came in asking if I was Saeed Al- X and when I told him I was, he was nice enough to tell me that the CID was here looking for me and that I had better run.

I tried making a few phone calls to a few friends of mine thinking that I could hitch a ride with them on their way out instead of getting into my car but none were around.

I decided I had to move and started making my way to my car. Once I got in the car,  I decided to head to the other gate but what I didn't know was that there were a few CID cars there waiting. Once the gate opened they flashed me with their headlights and I knew it was now or never.

I didn't even stop. I did the opposite. I floored the car. I knew I only had a few minutes to get away, I needed to ditch the car within 10 minutes. They drove after me. Two, Three cars coming at me from different directions. All I knew was that I couldn't let them catch me. Not now...

For a minute I thought the Maserati was not moving but I realized that I was driving at 290 km/h and I had lost the CIDs. Wow! What a relief. I parked the car in a public car park and called my Egyptian PRO to come pick me up telling him it was an emergency and when I call him back in five minutes he is still at the office drinking tea. Another five minutes pass and he calls asking me what road to use. I tell him to forget it and call numerous people until I find a friend to collect me. When he comes to pick me up, he still has no clue what is happening, I hop into the car and lower the seat and tell him to go. I decided not to go back to the city that night and went to spend a night at a friend's house.

The next day I call my boss to ask for an emergency leave. I decided it was best not to go to wok for a while until things cool down. The following weeks I lived like a fugitive, watching my back,suspicious of every tinted car on the road. How did it come down to this that I had to live like this in my own country?