The Unnecessary Alliance

THE LEAVING

She opens her eyes. "All my life I have given excuses for people's actions towards me. I would watch people be happy with this one person, and I would think to myself that none of this matters, because one day I will find my person too. I will find someone who will stick with me through every dark phase of my life." And then she laughs to herself. "So stupid of me to think that way, because my person is apparently  the reason for me being in the darkest phase of my life." She sniffles and then continues again. "You will never know how it feels because you are heartless Aadi, how could you even say that?" She breaks into tears. I watch thick drops of water fall down her eyes.

I shake my head at her, while my eyes get blurry. I can't see her like this. She needs to know the truth.

"I have to go." She announces while pulling her bag ahead and pushing me away.

All my senses rise, and the only thought my brain can think of is her leaving me. I can't. I don't even realise what I am doing. It's only when the wooden floor meets my knees and the sound of thud fills the air, I realise that I am on my knees. I hug her legs and raise my eyes at her. This is the only way I know to make her stay.

She is caught off guard with my action, well me too. It was kind of a reflex, something I couldn't stop even if I wanted to. "Please don't leave me."

She looks down at me, emotions flowing through her eyes and expressions. And I know that this is the only moment I can get her to listen to me. "The video is nowhere near the truth. Your father and my father.." "Stop." She screams, cutting me off.

"You want a chance to explain yourself, huh? Answer these questions." She raises her eyebrows at me.

I shake my head in agreement. At this point if she asks me to jump off a cliff to prove my love for her, I will. I am desperate to make her stay, I am desperate to get to call her Roses again.

"Did you or did you not sign the papers because you wanted the deal? Or because you wanted to marry me?" She questions.

Her question drills a nail through my chest. She had to ask one of the most complicated and messed up questions. If I deny it would be a lie because at that moment it was nothing but a business deal for me and I can't lie to her, not when I know that my lie will hurt her even more.

"Yes." I say slowly, almost like a whisper.

I watch her jaw tighten as one of her hands moves towards my shoulders, trying to get me off her legs. But I don't budge. I am not letting her go.

"Let go." She cries.

"No. Not until you agree to stay."

She freezes. "So you can disrespect me again with your fake show of love?" She taunts.

"I never did. I told you I didn't believe in love. It was all before I accepted my feelings for you. I was a fool, I was scared and needed an excuse for why I did those things for you. I have always gone an extra mile for you, because my love for you was always there." I try to explain.

"I never expected you to fall head over heels for me on the first day Aadi, that was never the issue. The issue was you signed the contract not because you were okay with having me as your wife, but because you wanted the deal. I was something complementary for you, something you had to deal with. And to know that you signed a contract, a contract that required you to marry a woman you barely knew or liked makes me think what else you can do for money."

"Vanie, no. You are—." She interrupts me again. "Tell me one more thing, the night you brought me here for the first time, what was I to you, a deal or a woman you were okay having by your side?"