Born to Love You

22- Freedom

Aru's Pov:

I booked a cab and headed to college, thankful that Aryan hadn't imposed any restrictions on me about how I should look or be, like a trophy wife molded to fit the image of some rich man's wife. At least in this one thing, I had a small sliver of freedom—no forced designer dresses or public appearances for the sake of his reputation. Just me, in my regular clothes, trying to hold onto the pieces of myself that still felt normal.

When I got to campus, I spotted Simmi and Lakshit waiting near our usual spot by the courtyard. My chest felt tight. I hadn't told them much since the wedding; there hadn't been time. Or maybe, I just couldn't bear to explain what a mess everything had become. But today, I had to. They deserved to know.

Simmi's face lit up when she saw me. "Aru!" she waved me over with a bright smile. "You look... surprisingly okay for a *newlywed*. I was expecting you to come in with, like, twenty bodyguards or something." Poor her, she's also thinking like everyone that we got married on happy terms

I laughed dryly, the sound hollow. "Yeah, not exactly. More like I'm still trying to process that this is my life now."

Lakshit, who had been quiet, looked up at me with those sharp eyes of his. He was always more reserved, less talkative than Simmi, but I could see the worry there, right under the surface. "What happened, Aru? You've been... off. This isn't you."

I sighed, feeling the weight of everything pushing down on me. "Guys, I—there's a lot to explain." I hesitated for a moment, unsure of where to begin. Then it all just spilled out. "This marriage... it's not what you think. It's not some happy fairy tale. It's—" I paused, trying to find the words. "It's like I'm trapped. I had no choice, and Aryan... he's not who he seems."

Simmi's face paled, her eyes widening in shock. "What? Are you serious? He seems so... I don't know, controlled. But you're saying he's controlling *you*?"

Lakshit stood up abruptly, his fists clenched at his sides. "What the hell, Aradhya? You didn't have a choice? What does that mean?" His voice was sharper than I'd ever heard, laced with anger. I'd never seen him like this before.

"He forced you into this?" Lakshit demanded, stepping closer. "Why didn't you tell us sooner?"

I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat making it difficult to speak. "It's complicated, Lakshit. I couldn't... I didn't know how to tell you guys. Everything happened so fast, and now... I don't know what to do. I'm stuck with him, and he—he acts like I'm some possession, like I don't have a say in anything."

Simmi's eyes filled with pity, and she grabbed my hands. "Oh, Aru... I'm so sorry. I can't believe this is happening to you."

Lakshit's jaw tightened, and his eyes darkened with an intensity I wasn't used to seeing from him. "I'll kill him," he muttered under his breath, his fists clenching and unclenching. "Who the hell does he think he is?"

I shook my head, trying to calm him down. "It's not that simple, Lakshit. You can't just go up against him. He's... he's powerful. You don't understand the kind of control he has."

"I don't care," he snapped, his voice rough. "He doesn't own you, Aradhya. No one does. And if he thinks he can treat you like that, then I swear I'll—"

"Lakshit, stop," I interrupted, my voice softer now, pleading. I could see the storm brewing inside him, and I knew it came from a place of care, I'm so lucky to have  "I appreciate it, I do. But fighting him isn't going to help. I just... I just need to figure out how to survive this."

Simmi squeezed my hands tighter. "We're here for you, okay? Whatever you need, Aru. If you need to run away or hide or... I don't know, anything, we'll help. You don't have to go through this alone."