Obsessions

Dubai invaded her house. 

Without warning, the seductive smoke of Sandalwood incense permeated her bedroom, seeped between her neatly folded clothes, snuck between the sheets and played with her hair.

Suddenly, deep fabric colors replaced her curtains, expensive designer dresses crowded her closet, and crushed saffron petals colored her rice dishes.

He suggested, provided, and encouraged.

She received, experimented and silenced the warning bells in her head.

Did he think he could fool her? Did he think he could ram each new exotic interest in her face without trepidation? Without resisting?

Eyeing the gold-laced perfume bottle on her dresser, she ran her fingertips on its cap. She would not remove the cap off the spherical container. She would not try the oily perfume on her wrists, or behind her ears. She might love the luring scent. Then what would she do when he moved on to a new obsession? What would she do with her interests, her tastes and her inclinations?

Did she even remember what they were? How she was before she met him? Did it matter?

Lilas Taha is a novelist, winner of the 2017 International Book Awards  and is the author of Shadows of Damascus and Bitter Almonds.