Boden looked at me, half-smiling. ‘Arlo, you’re marrying Ved, the “Charity Princess”? Her family is one of the biggest donors in the state!’
My throat went dry. I’d heard that name before—everyone had. I just never connected the dots.
Later, I pulled Ved aside. ‘So, “Princess Charity”?’
She sighed. ‘Yes. My family runs the largest charity in the state. But I try to stay away from it all.’
‘Why didn’t you tell me?’
‘For the same reason you didn’t tell me about your plan. I have my reasons too.’
‘Did you know it was a lie?’ I asked.
She nodded. ‘I was tired of my parents pushing me into a marriage for power. I wanted to make my own choice. When I met you, I thought I could help us both.’
I looked at her. She wasn’t just a modest girl from nowhere. She was strong, smart, and independent.
While I was playing games, she gave up her surname to live freely. She agreed to this arrangement to escape her cage.
One evening, as we were planning an event, I looked at her silently.
‘What?’ she asked.
‘I just didn’t know you were so strong,’ I said. ‘You’re handling this better than I am.’
She smiled softly. ‘I’m not doing this for them. I’m doing this for myself.’
At that moment, I realised that everything had changed. What had started as a joke was becoming real. I began to respect her. I wanted to be with her.
‘Ved,’ I said, ‘maybe we should tell them the truth.’
She nodded. We weren’t pretending anymore.
The next day, we asked our parents to sit down with us. As we prepared to explain everything, I felt surprisingly calm. I wasn’t afraid. I just knew I was ready — to be honest and move forward — with Ved by my side.
Remember me