The Bargain

Rachel Rana parted the amber colored curtains of her bedroom window and stared outside. The crowd at the city square, just outside the presidential palace, was increasing in size.

They looked similar to the crowds that had gathered at this same spot in the past, tired, passionate eyes and hungry looking.

But now they were happy, waving olive branches in the air and shooting fireworks.

She spun around at the sound of her door opening. She was relieved to see Maxwell.

"Is it over?" She asked slowly, releasing the curtain she had been clutching in her grasp.

"Yes." He responded. And she ran into his arms happily. She hugged him tight, the moment felt surreal.

There had been rumors that the war that had raged the country for five years was coming to an end.

Even Maxwell, a palace guard high up in the presidential palace had told her as much, but it had been almost too much to hope for.

"It feels surreal. Now we can leave and really live" she said softly withdrawing from the embrace.

"That is what I came to talk to you about." Maxwell said.

"Really?" Racheal said, half jumping excitedly. "Would we leave today?" She asked in nervous excitement.

Maxwell led the way to one of the sofas in her luxuriously furnished room and sat down. She hurriedly followed and took a seat beside him.

She returned her gaze to his face expectantly. And for the first time, she had a feeling that something was terribly wrong.

"Maxwell" Racheal said with a little dread. He was avoiding her eyes, and he was sweating despite the cool air conditioning in her room.

"There is no good way to say this. I am calling this quits." He said.

"You are quitting your position." She said expectantly, because that had been the plan. He quits his position and they elope together to another country to start a family.

But the question sounded foolish even to her own ears. Maxwell would not look so uncomfortable if he was sticking to the plan.

"No. I am calling our relationship quits." He said, turning to finally face her. "We cannot go on with the plan."

Racheal felt herself caving in "You promised." She said, the feeling of being betrayed twisting her guts.

"You promised. This was what I had looked forward to for years, this is the only reason I went on living." She added. "You cannot change your mind."

"It's impossible. You will find some other man. You will find happiness." He said standing up.

"You swore you loved me, you promised to continue loving me." She said, feeling the heat of her unshared tears beginning to burn the back of her throat now.

"How can you love me and want to abandon me in this situation? Why give me a will to live and then take it away?" She asked angrily.

Then she paused, and her eyes widened. "Did someone find out about us, are you being threatened?" She asked moving close to him.

"No." He said forcefully, stepping back. He looked offended at her words.

"Then what is it? Why this sudden decision. I saw you two days ago and all was fine." She said in frustration.

"Was it?" He asked with a bitter smile.

"Maxwell, why are you acting this way? Please tell me." She said, and lost control over her tears. They flowed freely, but she felt no shame, this was still Maxwell.

This was Maxwell who knew her darkest thoughts and the depth of her embarrassing reality.

She finally came to the realisation.

"You do not want to be involved in all these anymore right? The presidential family drama is too much for you, and why send yourself to exile over the unwanted daughter of all his children." She said.

From the way he continued watching her silently she realised she was not far from the truth.

He was no longer defensive.

She sat back heavily on the couch. She never knew this day would come. Not even for one minute, in her moments of doubt did she think of this possibility.

She feared their getting caught, she feared an accident killing them on their way, or their being condemned to a life of poverty, and even those were not so terrifying because Maxwell would be with her.

Never did she think he would back out.

"You will find happiness again Racheal." He said, sounding a little sad.

Not sweet Racheal. My sweet Racheal was what he had always called her. He turned to leave.

"Don't go." She said, "Please!" She cried. He did not even break his stride.

She hurriedly got up and crumbled to the floor, clutching his foot.

She could already feel the darkness swallowing her, a shiver went through her body at the thought of her fate if she let him walk out that door.

She clung to his foot desperately.

"Please don't go. I beg you. Please". She cried as he struggled to pull his leg away. "Take pity on me, you know the life you are condemning me to." She pleaded.

He leaned down and forcefully pushed her away, finally setting himself free. He hurried out the door like the devil himself was chasing him.

Racheal remained at that spot and sobbed. Heart wrenching sobs that shook her whole body.

She cried and cried, she cried for her late mother, she cried for the life she could have had, she cried for Maxwell and the life by his side she just lost.

Twice, her personal maids came in and tried to pull her up but she fought them off her.

She finally stood up as the sun began to set outside. She could still hear all the noise from the crowd outside.

Her maid came in with a cup of tea and turned on the television.

Racheal stared at the cup for a long time, remembering her teenage days. When her step-mother would have her confined to her room like she did now, but would strictly order that no food be brought up to her. And Racheal would starve and starve.

And now that she was older, although she was rarely starved, she still faced these confinements.

Whenever her step-mother was angry about something, anything at all she would send out palace guards to go seize her anywhere in the city she was.

They would bring her back to the palace and lock her up in her room while her father pretended to be blind and deaf to the situation.

He did nothing too when his wife blacklisted her from getting a job anywhere in the country.

Light flashes from the TV interrupted her thoughts. She slowly turned to see her father firmly shaking the president of the country they had been at war with.

She read the banner on the screen and went cold.

Both presidents promised to join their son and daughter in marriage to further unite both countries and assure the countrymen that the war was truly over.