Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia

reclining in
wicker lounges, enjoying the cool night air of the common garden.
(There are women’s gardens and common, or family, gardens on most
Saudi palace grounds.) Unexpectedly, Asad and four acquaintances
returned from a late-night appointment.
    When she heard the men approaching, Sara
turned her face to the wall, for she had no desire to bring
disgrace on the family by showing herself to strangers. I felt no
inclination to emulate her movement, so I loudly proclaimed our
presence by shouting to Asad that there were unveiled women in the
garden. The men with Asad hurriedly passed our way without a glance
and entered one of the side doors to the men’s sitting room. As a
courtesy, Asad casually walked our way to speak and inquire of
Kareem’s whereabouts when his eyes happened to rest on Sara’s
face.
    His physical reaction was so sudden that I
feared he had been stricken with a heart attack. His body jerked so
grotesquely that I moved as rapidly as my belly allowed and shook
his arm to get his attention. I was genuinely concerned. Was he
ill? Asad’s face was flushed and he seemed unable to move without
direction; I led him to a chair and called out loudly for one of
the servants to bring water.
    When no one responded, Sara jumped to her
feet and rushed inside to get the water herself. Asad, embarrassed,
tried to leave, but I was convinced that he was about to faint. I
insisted he stay. He said he felt no pain, yet he could not explain
his sudden loss of movement.
    Sara returned with a glass and a bottle of
cold mineral water. Without looking at him, she poured a drink and
raised the glass to his lips. Asad’s hand brushed Sara’s fingers.
Their eyes locked. The glass slipped from her grasp and crashed to
the ground. Sara swept past me as she ran into the villa.
    I left Asad to his friends, who had become
impatient and begun to empty into the garden. They were more
flustered upon viewing my face than my huge, protruding belly. I
defiantly waddled by them, and made a point of greeting them full
in the face. They responded with embarrassed mumbles.
    Kareem awoke me at midnight. When he arrived
at the palace, he had been intercepted by Asad. Kareem wanted to
know from me what had happened in the garden. I sleepily related
the evening’s occurrence and inquired about Asad’s health.
    I sat up with a start when Kareem replied
that Asad was insisting on marrying Sara. He had announced to
Kareem that he would never know happiness if Sara were not his
wife. This, from the playboy of all playboys! A man who had, only a
few short weeks earlier, saddened his mother when he vehemently
swore never to marry.
    I was astonished. I told Kareem that it was
easy to surmise Asad’s attraction to Sara by his behavior in the
garden, but that this insistence on marriage was unbelievable!
After a few moments of visual pleasure? I dismissed it as nonsense
and turned back on my side.
    While Kareem was showering, I rethought the
event and left our bed. I knocked on Sara’s door. Since there was
no answer, I slowly pushed the door open. My sister was sitting on
the balcony staring at a star-filled sky.
    With great difficulty, I maneuvered myself
into a corner of the balcony and sat in a silent stupor at this
turn of events. Without looking in my direction, Sara spoke with
certainty.
    “He wishes to marry me.”
    “Yes,” I agreed in a small voice.
    With a burning look in her eye Sara
continued. “Sultana, I saw my life ahead of me when I looked into
his soul. This is the man Huda saw when she said I would know love.
She also said that as a result of this love, I would bring six
little ones into the world.”
    I closed my eyes in an attempt to bring to
mind the comments made by Huda on that day long ago in our parents’
home. I remembered talk of Sara’s unrealized ambitions and the
mention of marriage, but little else of the conversation remained
fresh in my mind. I shivered when I realized that much of what Huda
had predicted had come true.
    I felt compelled to dismiss the idea of love
at first sight. But I suddenly recalled my charged emotions the day
I first met Kareem. I bit my tongue and made no sound.
    Sara patted my belly. “Go to bed, Sultana.
Your child needs rest. My destiny will come to me.” She turned her
gaze back to the stars. “Tell Kareem that Asad should go and speak
with Father of this matter.”
    When I returned to the bed, Kareem was awake.
I repeated Sara’s words, and he shook his head in wonder