Prince from Paradise | ✔

IV. Fire of Filth

Adar

Giggling was heard behind him, shrill voices whispering to one another as Adar walked down the path. Men inhaled tobacco, filling the air with a thick gray smoke. Turning his head in disgust, Adar tried to shield his little sisters from the contamination.

The twin girls did not appreciate his gesture. Although Adar was the eldest in his family, he felt far away from both his parents and his siblings. His sisters provoked men of all ages, tempting them with seduction, and using their bodies as a way to gain the people's favor. Of course, they never fell into bed with another man, but rather flirted their way out of trouble.

Adar knew that their tactics were nowhere near Islamic.

"Bhaiyah (brother), why must you insist on protecting us?" questioned Prisha, irritation swirling in her light brown eyes. "We are not children anymore."

"Indeed," agreed Reem, fixing her long braids. "You treat us as if we are damsels."

Adar rolled his eyes. "It seems to me that you two enjoy being the center of attention," he commented dryly, eyes narrowing at the scruffy young men that hungrily gazed at his sisters.

He promised his mother that he would take the girls shopping, but Adar was beginning to regret it. The depraved men in the village scouted for fresh meat for their eyes to feast on, more specifically a feminine figure that promised much more in erotic dreams. Bile rose in his throat.

"You're too serious," laughed Reem. "These men enjoy eye candy, the least we could do is offer some."

"And get low prices on accessories," winked Prisha at a man walking by.

Oh Allah, please save my sisters from this cycle of attention.

Ignoring their flirtations, Adar walked beside them, glaring at every man that dared to look at his sisters like they were objects of pleasure. His sisters may not appreciate his protective nature, but Adar knew the minds of men all too well.

The second Adar turned his back, he knew those men would pounce like cougars on his sisters. As a brother, he had a duty to be there for his sisters even if he did not agree with their styles or language.

Adar was pulled out of his thoughts when Reem grabbed his arm. "Look!" she exclaimed excitedly. "They have new hairbands today!"

Without warning, he was pulled into the hood of the market, flushed against a crowd, his sisters pulling him away towards a bright colored stand. Cigarette smoke hit his nostrils, making Adar hold his breath until the scent vanished. He internally groaned, realizing that the entire market was covered in drug and cigarette addicted fools.

"Be quick," he ordered his sisters.

Prisha and Reem pouted, but nonetheless listened to him. Their silky black hair stuffed into two long braids, clothes worn and dirty, a shade of emerald green. Both loved to match their outfits and hairstyles, flaunting their figure with ease. It caused Adar great qualm to think about all the trouble they would run into if he was not there.

The girls bargained with the shop owner, laughing too loudly for Adar's comfort and fluttering their eyelashes. He tore his gaze away, and subconsciously listened to the roaring buzz of villagers as they shopped. Adar leaned against the wooden stand, crossing his arms over his chest.

To his surprise, the men behind him whispered about a girl, snickering every now and then. Fury boiled deep in Adar's mind from the filthy language that they used to describe such a woman.

"The conservative girls will not survive this war. These soldiers need some relief after a long day of work," chuckled one man.

His companion hummed in agreement. "It is always the innocent women that are the wildest. Have you heard the stories?"