The Sheikh's Unforgettable Wife

[October 2015, Arabian Nation of Zidra]

Aveline Dupont was thrilled to see her husband of eight months, embracing her for the first time.

Not for any show, because there was no one around. Just the two of them.

Aveline, or Ava as people close to her prefer to call her, landed on the Arabian desert nation of Zidra after a sudden trip to her home country France.

Last week, the whole Zidra celebrated the wedding of their crown prince Sheikh Salim bin Ahmed Al Zidra.

Ava had to leave for France in an emergency and she didn’t inform her husband about her departure, as she was keeping her distance from him as instructed by her sister in law Camille.

Maybe Camille’s idea worked! Maybe her husband really missed her!

She was even more surprised when her husband took her to a hotel saying that he had a surprise for her.

Is he going to confess his love? Does he also feel for her the same way she does? She wondered! She hoped!

Maybe he does! Why else would he be behaving like this?

"Aveline. This is for you. Wear it for me," he said, handing her a parcel and walking out of their room. The room he rented for them.

The place made her uncomfortable but she is happy as long as her beloved Zayed is with her.

Sheikh Zayed bin Ahmed al Zidra!

The second heir to the throne of Zidra.

She opened the parcel and was stunned to see a beautiful white satin gown. She instantly fell in love with it. She would have loved it even if it wasn’t this beautiful.

After all, it’s the first gift from her beloved.

Zayed had married her to save her from a monster. And in these eight months of marriage Ava fell hopelessly in love with him.

Zayed had always kept distance from her, both emotionally and physically and it hurt a lot. And there were so many misunderstandings he had about her.

Ava let out a resigned sigh.

It’s not time to think about the past. Zayed seems to have missed her in the last week and he might confess the same to her tonight.

Ava was thrilled!

She changed into the gown and took time to prepare herself. She wanted to be perfect for her husband. She wanted to be at her best when she confessed her feelings for him.

She was startled when the door burst open and Zayed walked in.

"Aren’t you ready yet Ave-" he trailed off looking stunned at her.

Ava’s breath hitched at the intense look on his eyes. Her heart thudded heavily against her ribs and she feared he could hear it.

"Aveline," he said in a husky voice and walked towards her as a predator cornering his prey

"Zayed" she whispered wondering whether he could hear the catch in her voice.

"You look beautiful," he said, trailing a finger along her cheeks which further accelerated her already fast pacing heartbeat.

His fingers moved behind her head and cupped her neck and his lips met hers and she knew she would never be the same again.

Her hands were wounded around his neck. One thing led to another and they ended up in the bed tangled against each other with nothing but a flimsy duvet covering them.

Bliss!

Total bliss!

That was how she felt.

There can’t be any better time to confess her feelings.

"Zayed," she called, raising her head from his chest.

Zayed bin Ahmed al Zidra stiffened.

Reality crashed into him like a heavy bomb.

What has he done?

Had he lost it?

Where was his brain?

He slept with his wife. The wife who betrayed him!

The wife who spent a week in the same bed with another man.

He felt disgusted.

At her!

At him!

He pulled himself away from her and turned his back on her.

"Zayed," she called again, hurt lacing her voice.

Oh! She is a wonderful actress. She has his whole family eating out of her hands. But not him, he thought with disgust.

Never him.

"Come to the terrace once you are dressed. We will talk there," he said evenly and quickly pulled his clothes on before walking out of the room.

Ava felt hurt.

What happened to him suddenly?

Maybe it’s how men behave after- after- doing that, she tried to reason that she has no idea about anything related to physical intimacy.

She had been a virgin up until a few minutes ago.

She quickly wore the gown and walked to the terrace with her sling bag which contained the greeting card she bought for him.

As she reached, she saw him at the opposite end of the terrace.

The terrace was beautifully decorated.

Did he do this for her? Her heart bloomed with hope.

"Zayed."

"Did you enjoy it?" He asked and she blushed to the roots of her hair.

How was she supposed to respond to that?

Didn’t he know how she felt? Didn’t he feel it?

"Or did you enjoy it more with that Arif?" he asked in a cold voice.

"What?? What did you say?" she asked. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

"I asked, did you enjoy it better with that Arif?" He asked, turning around.

"Which Arif?" She was confused at his behaviour.

"Oh! How many Arifs are you acquainted with? Of course, your lover Arif Mehboob,” he spat out in a disgust

"Arif Mehboob?" She asked again.

"Haa! The same Arif for whom you even left Salim’s wedding. Salim who loved you as his own little sister," he spat.

"Zayed you are misunderstanding. It’s not like that," she said again, trying to calm him.

"Enough Aveline. Enough with you playing I am innocent. I am tired of it. You didn’t just betray me, you betrayed my entire family. Did you think of my family even once? The family which accepted you, a total stranger, with open arms. Did you think at least once about that family before doing such a disgusting thing," He yelled again and Aveline was crying by now.

"Zayed. Give me a chance to speak."

"No. I have been listening to your lies until today. Not anymore. I want a divorce. I can’t even breathe the same air as you. I feel disgusted just looking at you. Who knows what kind of upbringing you got that you behave like this?" he said, disgust lacing his every word.

"Stop it. Just stop it," Aveline shouted.

Enough is enough, she thought.

"You have talked enough. And I have listened enough. As long as it was just me, I tolerated you. Now you have brought my parents into this. Their upbringing into it. And Aveline Dupont wouldn’t tolerate a single word against her parents. Do you understand that Your Highness?" she shouted in equal vigour, leaving Zayed stunned.

"You wanted divorce, right? I will give it to you. I don’t even want to share my life with someone like you. Where should I sign?" she asked, snatching the divorce papers from him and signed it without defending herself.

What is the point of defending herself to someone who wants to believe the worst in her?

Zayed was stunned to see her signing the divorce paper without uttering a word.

He has expected her to cry, to apologise, to swear she won’t do it again, to plead him for another chance.

But not even in his wildest dreams did he expect her to sign away the divorce papers.

She threw the signed divorce papers onto his face.

"Today. This instant. I am relieving you of all the ties, all the relations. After today, not even Aveline Dupont’s shadow would touch you," she said and walked away from him without a backward glance.