Amelie, a well-off French girl, had a secret romance with Driss, a Moroccan man hailing from the notorious suburbs of Paris known as the banlieues. She liked him for who he was, regardless of the cultural and social divide that separated them. This divide, in fact, intensified their relationship, as it felt like they were embracing something forbidden. However, her affluent parents, heirs to a renowned Parisian fashion empire, would never accept to see their daughter marrying a Moroccan man from the suburbs.
To be fair, Driss was experiencing a similar problem, as his family wouldn’t welcome the idea of him marrying a non-Muslim woman from outside North Africa, so both of them knew the odds were stacked against their relationship.
One fateful day, Driss asked an elderly Imam from the French-Moroccan community for his assistance. The following day, the venerable man presented him with a Fatima’s eye pendant to always carry with himself and granted him that, if both lovers were really in love with each other, things would sort out by themselves.

Later that evening day, Driss asked Amelie to meet in downtown Paris. This was unusual, as they usually met around his place, where Amelie was much less likely to be spotted by someone she knew. Also, it gave her some excitement to meet in such a different environment. Nervousness tinged their meeting, as Amelie didn’t want to risk being seen with Driss in an area where her affluent friends might spot them together., but Driss was in a hurry to see her. He did not know what to expect, but he had faith. So, he went straight into the subject.
“Amelie, do you think there’s a chance for us to get married someday?”
Amelie sighed “Driss, you know how I feel about this, I have no problems dating a Moroccan man but my family is extremely conservative, they would never approve of their daughter marrying a Moroccan man. It sucks.” – she added, in despair.
Driss touched the pendant and replied: “So, you truly love me? This isn’t just an adventure?”
Amelie met his gaze, her eyes filled with sincerity. “Of course I love you!” – Amelie replied. As she said that, Driss felt the pendant warming up and vibrate for a second. As that happened, Amelie’s appearance began shifting.

Initially, Driss thought it might be a trick of the lighting, but after a while it became apparent that Amelie was indeed changing.
Her once dark blonde hair deepened to a rich shade of brown, her creamy complexion took on a radiant tan, her dainty nose acquired a touch of Arab ethnicity, and her lips grew fuller.
She was turning Moroccan, just like him! In that way there would be no problems anymore for the two of them! However, the realization hit Driss like a tidal wave – was he willing to change his girlfriend so drastically? This transformation would likely mean the loss of her identity, her family name, and her wealth.
She seemed to ignore the changes, as they went on talking about their relationship.
As Driss’ mind was racing, trying to justify himself for what he was doing to her, the couple was walking away from the city center, and they were heading towards less touristic areas, slightly less safe and clean. As they kept walking, he noticed something remarkable. Her flawless Parisian French was being infused with words from verlain, the slang of the banlieues!

Her clothes had also changed, from the expensive, colourful summer outfit she had before to a simple and cheap black dress.
Eventually, Driss decided to test the extent of her inner changes too.
“Wouldn’t everything be easier if you were Moroccan like me?” he asked.
Amelie blinked and responded with a simple, “Of course.”
“But you are Moroccan, Amina!”
“I… I am?” – Amelie was momentarily perplexed but not entirely surprised. The notion of being Moroccan didn’t seem alien to her at this point. It was more like a memory she had long forgotten. As she gazed at Driss, her once-green eyes began to shift, darkening into a rich brown.
Encouraged by her reaction, Driss continued, creating a fictitious past that he hoped she would soon recognise as her own: “Don’t you recall your childhood in Rabat?”
“I… I do, actually!” the North African-looking girl mumbled, her mind conjuring images of herself as a young girl, playing with other children in the shadow of a mosque.

The memories of her Moroccan childhood swiftly overwrote those of her privileged upbringing as a spoiled French little girl.
“And how difficult it was life in France, at the beginning, when your mom joined her sister here? And how mean French girls were to you, back in school?” – Driss continued.
“They were mean, yes. Damn French people!” – Suddenly the idea of French people reminded her of arrogant, xenophobic men and women who didn’t like those with a darker complexion like herself..
In the meanwhile, they had reached the suburbs of Paris, where unemployed men couldn’t help but gaze at the beautiful Maghrebi girl and whistle at her. Amina was instantly brought back from her distant memories, feeling both unsafe and bewildered. She looked around, not recognising the unfamiliar settings and suddenly asked: “Where are we?”
Driss calmly reassured her, “Don’t worry babe, you’re safe with me. Besides, we’re almost at my place now.”
Amina’s gratitude was evident as she responded, “Thank God you’re here, Driss!” – and held tightly to his hand. She found a strange comfort in his presence, assuming a submissive role she had never experienced as an independent young French woman.

Driss continued to reinforce her new identity, saying: “By the way, I don’t know what came into your mind, dressing like that to meet my parents for the first time. You know they are quite conservative!”
“I know, sorry, but I wanted to look good for you… And it’s all in black, at least!” Amina responded, not recalling exactly why she had chosen that specific outfit for such an important occasion. In fact, she was still struggling to recall lots of details about her life but now wasn’t the time to bring that up. She certainly didn’t want Driss to think she was crazy or something!
Driss nodded in understanding, saying, “That’s true, but keep in mind you don’t want to give them the impression that you’ve become too French and now dress like one of them!”
Amina quickly replied, her conviction evident, “Of course not, I’m proud to be Moroccan! And I’m an observant Muslim even though I might not wear a Hijab!”
“I know you are,” Driss replied with a smile. “Still, you should ask my sister if you can borrow something from her. You don’t want to make the wrong impression.”
“Of course, babe!” – she replied, glad they found a way out. Still, some of her sense of fashion seemed to have survived the transformation.

Driss’s sister, Salma, a girl of similar age and physique, provided her with a grey long-sleeved shirt, and Amina managed to change into that, seconds before Driss’s parents were introduced to her.
Amina was worried, but meeting Driss’s family went well. They instantly liked her, even though she wasn’t wearing a hijab. She appeared to be a decent Moroccan Muslim girl, dispelling any worrisome rumours they had heard about their son dating a blonde French girl, and that was enough to reassure them. There would be time to mold her into the traditional wife role she was expected to fulfil, they thought.
Amina’s background seemed consistent with her language skills, as she spoke in fluent Moroccan Arabic with her future in-laws and, when she switched back to French to talk with Driss, had taken on a strongly accented verlain, suggesting she was indeed a first-generation immigrant and that she had grown up in the infamous outskirts of Paris.
Driss was overjoyed as he had accomplished a seemingly unachievable goal: making his family happy and openly dating Amelie, now Amina. Sure, he would miss Amelie’s captivating green eyes and fair skin that had made him fall in love with her in the first place, but what mattered the most was her soul, and that now inhabited the body of an alluring Moroccan girl named Amina!

Amina was currently in-between-jobs, but luckily she quickly found employment as a waitress in a touristy brasserie in Paris. Quite a change from her previous career perspectives within her family fashion brand, but deep down Driss was happy about that. He had always felt uneasy dating someone much wealthier than him. With Amina now dependent on him for extra expenses like dinners out or trips to the French Riviera, he felt a sense of importance. Most of her salary went towards paying the rent for her tiny apartment in the 15th arrondissement. Despite her limited budget, she managed to fill her compact living space with an array of inexpensive clothing. She was determined to maintain an elegant appearance for every occasion, carefully selecting her wardrobe with the resources she had.
The news that Amelie, the heiress to a fashion empire, had gone missing didn’t elicit much of a reaction from Amina, a clear sign that her previous identity had been entirely erased from her memory. Driss, however, felt a pang of guilt for the pain her parents were undoubtedly experiencing. He prayed to God for a resolution. Remarkably, the following day, he read in the news that a new Amelie had miraculously been found, albeit suffering from amnesia. With no more loose ends, Driss proposed to Amina, and she happily accepted his offer. They made a happy couple. However, as the raven-haired beauty began to embrace the role of a traditional Moroccan wife, influenced by his family, he sensed that not much of the real Amelie was left in Amina. These thoughts led him to wonder about the new Amelie. He couldn’t help but entertain the idea of meeting her to see if the spark of attraction he had once felt could be reignited. After all, she was still Amelie, so that wasn’t cheating, right?

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