Into the Life of Hadji Part 3
A number of weeks went by, and although things were
alright between Hadji and Miana, they were distant from one
another as well. Virtually no affection was shown between
them, which had everyone puzzled, and Miana very worried.
The time came when Jessie cornered Miana.
"Hey, Mi! I've been looking for you!" shouted Jessie as
she found Miana sitting by a pond in a garden in the remote
corner of the compound. "What's up?"
"Hmm?"
"With you and Hadji. The two of you haven't been the
same for weeks, ever since you and he had that ordeal with
Jonny's game."
"Honestly, Jessie, I can't tell you. If you want to
know the truth, I'm scared. He hasn't touched me, hasn't
kissed me, hasn't even put his arms around me. I'm afraid
things are ending for us."
"Nonsense! Hadji loves you!" exclaimed Jessie.
"You wouldn't know it from my end. Ever since..."
"Ever since what?" prompted Jessie.
"The night after the game, things got rather heated
between Hadji and me. I stopped things before it was too
late, we found out each other's deepest secrets, and that was
it."
"That was what?"
"The last time Hadji and I really had any contact with
each other."
"Secrets? It's common knowledge that Hadji is a
virgin."
"It's not that. My secret."
"Oh?"
Miana regarded Jessie with a serious demeanor.
"Miana, you can trust me..."
"Jessie, you mustn't tell..."
Jessie put her hands on Miana's shoulders.
"Miana, no one will ever hear it from me."
Miana then disclosed her painful secret.
"Anyway, now Hadji thinks badly of me."
"No! Hadji would never judge you like that! It could
be that he may have something on his mind. After all, this
is as new to him as it is to you." replied Jessie.
"I hope that's all it is. I really do." said Miana as
she headed back to the house.
Hadji was in his room meditating. He wad clad in
nothing but his turban and a linen loincloth. He had been
meditating for a number of hours, but his concentration was
constantly broke by images of his encounter with Miana, and
their adventure in the Garden of Eden. He felt deep desire,
and was very disturbed that he couldn't put his carnal
feelings aside long enough to keep in touch with his
spiritual self-- the side of himself that he deemed most
important.
Miana's door was open, and she noticed Hadji walk by,
clad in nothing but his loincloth. He didn't even stop in to
say hello, but rather went straight to the gym. It was there
that Hadji found Jonny.
"Hadji! Long time, no see! What brings you here?"
"My thoughts were disturbed." said Hadji curtly, while
going over to a Nautilus machine.
Hadji was on a machine, sitting straight with his arms
over his head, pulling on a bar that lifted weights behind
him. He had a fierce look in his eye that Jonny found both
strange and disturbing. Hadji was pulling on the weights
aggressively and with great speed, and was constantly getting
frustrated because each setting did not offer enough
resistance, and he kept having to add more weights. Each
time he did this, he became more and more agitated.
Jonny got up from his weight machine and went over to
Hadji and grabbed a weight from his hands.
"Hadji! Slow down! Calm down and talk to me! What's
this all about?"
"Mind your own business, Jonny!" demanded Hadji, jerking
the weight from Jonny's hands.
"What's your problem, Hadj?!"
"I told you to mind your own business!"
Hadji threw the fifty pound weight across the room like
it was a toy. It hit the floor with a 'thud' that was heard
all over the house. He pushed Jonny, and a fight broke out.
Everybody came running from all parts of the house.
"Hadji! Jonny! What's going on here?" screamed Race as
he went to pull Hadji off Jonny. "In all the years I've
known you boys, I've never seen you fight, especially like
this!"
Benton and the rest of the family was in shock, and
Miana was in tears. She ran up to her room.
Hadji calmed down and regained control.
"I'm sorry, Jonny. I do not know what came over me."
"It's ok, Hadj" said Jonny as he wiped sweat from his
brow. "Feel like talking?"
"Is it safe to leave the two of you alone in here?"
asked Race.
"Yeah, everything's fine." replied Jonny.
"I'll want details later, boys." replied Benton.
Everyone left, and the boys were alone once again.
"It is the way I am feeling, Jonny. I cannot handle
it!"
"What are you feeling?"
"Loneliness, longing, desire... Every time I close my
eyes I see Miana... her body..."
"Her body? Hadji, did you and she..."
"No, but we came close. She stopped it before we went
too far. Ever since then I cannot get her out of my head. I
love her Jonny, but it is so much more. I WANT her, Jonny. I
want her with every fiber of my being! I cannot concentrate,
I cannot even meditate, and that disturbs me greatly!"
"There's more, isn't there? I smell a decision brewing
upstairs, Hadji. I know you too well. What are you
considering?"
Hadji looked at Jonny square in the eye with a look more
serious than Jonny had ever seen in him.
"I'm considering marriage."
"Hadji, you can't marry someone because you're..."
"No! It is not that at all! I've wanted to marry her
all along-- even before our encounter. But--"
"But what?"
"She had an... incident... that occurred in her
childhood..."
"And you're afraid she'll say no."
"Exactly. That fear is stronger in me than anything
else."
Jessie was eavesdroping on the conversation, and was
satisfied with what she had heard. She went up to Miana's
room with the intention to reassure her, only to find her in
tears and packing.
"What are you doing?!" demanded Jessie.
"Hadji no longer wants me-- the display downstairs told
me everything I need to know!"
"You've got it all wrong."
"Oh, do I?!"
"Yes, you do! I heard Jonny and Hadji talking after he
calmed down. He wants to marry you."
"He what?" gasped Miana, dropping and armful of clothes.
"Why was he behaving..."
"Because he's scared. He mentioned your 'incident'--
and he used those words-- as a child, and that because of
that, you didn't want him and would say no to his proposal.
He's also overcome with intense desire for you, and intense
loneliness."
"Loneliness?"
"Yes. He feels empty without you. That's how you know
when someone truly loves you."
Miana's look softened as she picked up her clothes from
the floor. She took on a look of disbelief.
"But give him time. Do not let him know that you know.
Let him come to you."
"Thanks, Jessie! You're the greatest!" beamed Miana as
she pulled Jessie into a hug.
"Now unpack, and join the rest of humanity!" exclaimed
Jessie as she left Miana's room.
The phone rang, and Jonny answered it.
"Hadji! It's Pasha!" yelled Jonny.
"Hello, Pasha! Yes... mhmmm... yes... Great! We'll
arrange it right away!"
"Arrange what?" asked Jonny.
"Pasha wants all of us to come to Bangalore. He said my
mother misses me, and it would be a nice surprise." answered
Hadji.
"I'll make the arrangements right away." replied Benton
as he came into the room. "Does the invitation include
Miana?"
"Of course!" answered Hadji. "Why wouldn't it?"
Jessie went back up to Miana's room.
"Start packing!" cried Jessie.
"What?!?" panicked Miana.
"No, it's not what you're thinking! Hadji just got a
call from Pasha, his old guardian. We're all going to
India!"
"Me, too?"
"Of course, you too!" beamed Jessie as she bounced out
of Miana's room.
Hadji came up and found Miana's door open and stuck his
head in.
"Miana?"
"Hadji! Jessie told me about the trip! I can't wait!"
exclaimed Miana.
Hadji came in and Miana jumped into his arms. Hadji had
a serious look on his face as he gently stroked hers and
pulled her into a kiss.
She looked up at him, stroked his face, and regarded him
with a starstruck but serious look.
"Hadji, I love you so much!" she cried, almost in tears.
"You haven't hardly said a word to me in weeks!"
"Oh, Miana, it is not you. It is me. I am sorry-- the
last thing I would ever want to do is hurt you." replied
Hadji. He kissed her lightly on the lips and left her room.
A week passed in preparation for the Quests' trip to
Bangalore. Things between Hadji and Miana were still low-
key, but Miana was hoping the trip would change that.
The Quests made the journey in the Dragonfly. It was
Miana's first time on a plane, and the Dragonfly was
especially impressive to her. It was one of the most
beautiful things she has ever seen-- she never thought a
plane could be a work of art. The Dragonfly landed on the
airstrip near Bangalore Palace, and Miana was amazed that
this was where they were going.
Hadji came up to Miana, smiled at her, and offered her
his arm. She put her arm through his, and were the first
ones off the plane. They approached Neela with dignity and
grace. Miana was surprised at all the formality this place
presented, but all that melted away when Hadji embraced his
mother and Pasha.
"Mother!" cried Hadji as he embraced her. "It has been
a long time. How have things been here?"
"Things have been quite different, my son." answered
Neela. "But first, you must introduce me to your friend."
"Mother, this is my consort, Miana Scolari. Miana, my
mother Neela, and my mentor, Pasha."
Hadji went up to Pasha and embraced him.
"Pasha! Thank you for the invitation!"
"The Sultan of Bangalore needs no invitation. I just
thought it was time you came home to see your mother. Miana-
- a beautiful name for a beautiful girl." continued Pasha as
he kissed Miana's hand.
Miana's eyes were wide and she was speechless.
"S-s-sultan?" asked Miana.
Just then, everyone else came up, introductions and
greetings continued, and valets came out from the palace.
"Welcome, your Highness. Any requests?"
"Yes. Please escort my companions to their rooms. Dr.
Quest, Jonny... Thank you all for coming. Make yourselves
completely at home." replied Hadji.
Hadji looked at Miana.
"S-s-sultan?"
"Your girl seems stuck on a single thought." observed
Pasha.
"I take it my son has not enlightened you on his
position here." observed Neela.
"N-no, Ma'am. I mean your Majesty... your..."
"Please, call me Neela. No need for formalities here."
said Neela warmly, taking Miana's hands.
"Pasha, why don't you take Miana to her chamber. Give
her one of the best in the house-- one that close family of
the Sultan would occupy." requested Neela.
"No problem, Ma'am. Come, Miana-- I could tell you all
about the trouble Hadji got into as a boy." replied Pasha as
he escorted her to her room.
"My son! It has been too long. We have had some trying
times in your absence. The famine has reached Bangalore, and
it is hard on the people."
"I trust you are doing all that can be done and that is
the best you can do, mother. However, with the minds of the
Quest team here, maybe we can come up with some solutions."
"Your consort is a beautiful girl, Hadji. Is it
serious?"
"Yes, mother. I want to marry her."
"Hadji, you hadn't even told her about you station here.
Do you think she could adjust? Also, why didn't you tell
her?"
"I think she could adjust well, mother. As for my not
telling her, there have been other issues that took
precedence, added to the fact that I was at a loss of how to
tell her..."
"I can tell by your demeanor that there are some
problems." observed Neela.
"There are no problems with us per say-- but I have some
issues that I am dealing with." replied Hadji. Hadji went on
to explain the situation to his mother.
"I think this trip would be the perfect opportunity to
propose to her. I could tell by the way she looked at you
that she loves you deeply and would accept your proposal in
an instant, despite the things that have occurred in the
past."
"Do you really believe so, mother?" asked Hadji.
"Yes, Hadji, I do." answered Neela. "So sure, in fact--
that I would love to plan a ball while you are here, and you
could surprise her with your proposal."
"Excellent idea, mother. Please do so."
Pasha had long since shown Miana her room, and the two
of them had gotten into an involved conversation about
Hadji's childhood and the story behind how he re-discovered
his roots.
The rest of the Quest team were involved in different
activities around the palace and were enjoying themselves
immensely. Hadji pulled Benton aside and enlightened him on
the food shortage Bangalore was experiencing and requested
his assistance on the matter. Race and Jonny went adventure
hunting, which left Jessie and Miana alone to do their own
thing. Neela also had made herself scarce, as she had a ball
to plan.
"I can't believe how fast everyone has just gone off to
do their own thing." replied Miana.
"Hadji and Dr. Quest have a lot to work on-- as for
Jonny and dad, that's typical of them." said Jessie.
"Oh, I understand that-- I was just hoping Hadji and I
could spend some time together. Guess I should've known
better with him being Sultan and all."
"Do you think you could handle being a sultans?"
"What? Oh, Lord! That thought never occurred to me!
That's right-- if Hadji and I were to marry..."
"What do you think of the idea of staying here if you
had to?"
"This place is so beautiful! It wouldn't bother me at
all! I have no family, and Hadji's family accepts me-- I
could be at home here easily." answered Miana. "As long
as..."
"As long as what?"
"As long as he doesn't have or acquire a harem."
Both girls laughed.
"I don't think you'll have to worry about that.
Polygamy isn't Hadji's style." replied Jessie.
"Thank God!" laughed Miana. "I don't think I could share
him easily."
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