Why, We Fall (Book One)

20: The contract

It was past midnight when all the elders were done with their meeting and came out of that study. Tired but somewhat satisfied. All the young ones were already in bed and despite the insistence of everybody Hasan decided to get back to his apartment rather than crashing here. He has spent enough time with these people and he needed a break. Because if what happened inside that study was any indication there's a fair chance the rest of his life is going to look like a war zone.

After hours of discussion, diplomacy, rebuttals and showing each other all the aces each party own they've finally come to the agreements Mr. Townsend has to draw up in a contract in three days. After the size of the notes he has taken in those hours it's needless to say he appeared more grim than he was when he entered that study.
The thick pages of notes he cradled in the brifcase while saying goodbye to everybody with a promise to return in three days, looked somewhat like this ...

As a member of the guidance council Forhad Husseini had the power to elect Ajhar Nadir for the candidacy of the governing position in Nadirs home state. That's the first ace of Husseini. Hasan Nadir will marry Forhad Husseinis daughter in order to secure her father's vote.

As per Nadir's demand the wedding won't happen till Ajhar gets the candidacy. They will however announce the engagement so that every one knew Husseini supported Nadir. Because of the influential power Husseini family had by being one of the oldest family in politics, everyone else will follow him and vote for Nadirs.

After getting the candidacy Husseini will sponsor Nadirs election campaign in exchange of a family heirloom his choosing.
It wasn't easy to come to an agreement about this. Despite not having any real money for the campaign, giving up a priceless heirloom for the Nadirs was hard as all of them had especial meaning and history behind them.
Husseini wanted the 300 years old Jade ring the Nadirs got from the then king of their region. It was decided the ring would be the engagement ring for Afreen, the bride of the future heir of the Nadir family, Hasan Nadir.
It was suitable and much better then selling or pawning the heirloom for money, so the Nadirs agreed to it.

The most debatable subject of the meeting was when the actual wedding will happen. Husseinis wanted it as soon as possible but Hasan wanted it to happen after his father gets elected governor in the election. He didn't want to go through it all if his father doesn't even become the governor which Husseini conveniently guarantees he will be. In this election or the next.

So the Nadirs had to convince Husseinis to wait and in order to do that Hasan agreed to add a clause in the contract saying if a marriage doesn't happen for some reason between the families all the money that Husseini owned from Nadir will be paid in a year with interest and if they fail to do so then husseinis can keep the Jade ring as payment.

After that it's all about NDAs. No one can disclose whatever arrangements had happened between the two families, ever. Even if the wedding doesn't happen, even if the deal breaks no one can disclose anything to the public. Everything will be settled behind closed doors with the help of this contract.

                   

By the time Hasan got home it was already 3am. He was exhausted. More mentally then physically. He had no mood for sleeping as he knew it won't come anyway. With a cup of hot scalding tea in his hand he sat on the couch in the living room staring into space.
He felt alone. Empty. He didn't know what to make of it. He was strong throughout the day. Never faltering. Never second guessing himself. He took the lead in the battle and came to a treaty with his opponent that made all party happy. But what about his happiness. He hadn't thought about that until this moment, sitting at that small but surprisingly comfortable couch.
He needed to talk to someone. Even if just to wallow. So he dialled up the first person he felt can make all of this into a joke and make him laugh regardless of his urge to scream.