Soul Swap: Trapped Forever

The early morning sun cast a soft golden glow through the sheer curtains as Sarvagya rummaged through the wardrobe. His fingers brushed against the delicate fabric of a yellow Anarkali suit, and a satisfied smile crossed his lips. Holding it up, he turned to Tripti, who was still wrapped in a towel.

"Wear this one today. You'll look beautiful in it, and you won't need much makeup either." His voice was casual, but there was a certain tenderness in the way he said it.

Tripti took the outfit from his hands, running her fingers over the smooth fabric. "Are you sure about this? Won't it seem odd if I don't wear a saree? Someone might say something."

Sarvagya shook his head. "No one will care. All the wedding rituals ended yesterday. Today, it's just guests leaving one by one. You don't have to dress up too much. Wear something comfortable."

Tripti let out a relieved sigh and smiled. "Alright then. Now you can go for your jog. I'll handle the rest."

Sarvagya raised an eyebrow playfully. "And what about your makeup?"

Tripti chuckled, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I can manage a little makeup on my own. Don't worry about it."

Sarvagya nodded in approval, but just as she turned to head toward the bathroom, he caught her by the waist. The sudden pull threw her off balance, making her stumble slightly. But before she could fall, his arms wrapped around her, holding her securely.

Her wide eyes met his mischievous ones, and she knew exactly what he wanted. A teasing smile played on her lips as she blinked slowly, giving him silent permission to continue.

Sarvagya leaned in, his breath warm against her skin, and placed a soft, lingering kiss on her lips. It wasn't rushed; it wasn't demanding—it was filled with an unspoken promise, a reassurance of love. Tripti responded just as passionately, tilting her head to deepen the kiss.

Time seemed to pause for those few stolen moments.

When they finally pulled away, Sarvagya's voice was husky. "I love you."

Tripti's cheeks flushed a soft pink, and she whispered "I love you more."

Before he could say anything else, she turned on her heel and dashed toward the bathroom, but not before blowing him a playful flying kiss. Sarvagya smirked, pretending to catch it mid-air before heading out of the room.

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After changing into the yellow Anarkali suit, Tripti examined herself in the mirror. The outfit complemented her perfectly, making her look effortlessly graceful. However, as she leaned closer, she noticed faint love bites on her skin. Her cheeks heated at the sight, but she quickly grabbed her concealer, skillfully covering them up.

By the time she finished getting ready, it was already 6:30 AM. Taking a final glance at her reflection, she stepped out of the room and made her way toward the living area.

As she entered, she noticed that most of the family members were already awake, sitting together and sipping their morning tea. She greeted them warmly.

"Good morning, everyone."

A chorus of replies followed, and just as she was about to head toward the kitchen, she nearly bumped into Sonali, who was stepping out.

"Oops! Sorry, Bhabhi! Good morning!" Sonali grinned.

Tripti chuckled. "Good morning, Sonali."

Sonali's eyes scanned her from head to toe, and a knowing smirk spread across her face. "You're up so early and all dressed up already? I thought you'd sleep in till at least eight or nine."

Tripti raised an eyebrow. "And why would you think that? Can't I wake up early?"

Sonali giggled, her expression turning mischievous. "Well, it's just that… considering how quickly Bhaiya rushed into the room last night, I assumed you'd both be… um, busy till late."

Tripti gasped, covering Sonali's mouth with her hand. "You shameless girl! Don't you feel embarrassed talking about your Bhaiya and Bhabhi like this?"

Sonali pried her hand away and grinned. "Embarrassment? What's that? It doesn't exist in my dictionary! Now, tell me, what really happened last night? When I knocked, Bhaiya didn't even open the door. Anything interesting?"

Tripti coughed awkwardly, trying to maintain a straight face. "Nothing happened! We were both exhausted from the wedding, so we just slept early. And we're used to waking up early, that's all."

Sonali cast a quick glance around the room before asking, "'We' woke up early? Where's Bhaiya then?"

Tripti replied, "He went for a jog. He should be back soon."

Just then, Sejal entered the kitchen. Her face was adorned with the sweetest smile, but her eyes held something else—something calculating.

Tripti greeted her politely. "Good morning, Aunty."

Sejal's smile widened. "Good morning, dear. Are you feeling comfortable here? How was your first night? Did you sleep well?"

Tripti held her gaze, trying to read beyond the surface of Sejal's kindness. But she kept her expression neutral. "I slept very well, Aunty. I feel fresh and well-rested. I just came here to grab some coffee before I start helping with breakfast."

Before Sejal could say anything, Sarvagya's aunt, Sweety, entered the kitchen. "No, no, beta. There are servants for that. You come sit with us instead. We're leaving today, so spend some time with us before we go."

Tripti found herself genuinely liking Sarvagya's aunt. She nodded in agreement, taking her coffee and walking to sit with the guests.

Meanwhile, Sejal remained standing in the kitchen, her smile slowly fading.

Sarvagya and Tripti had managed to dodge her first trap. But that didn't mean she was giving up.

Today, she was ready to set her new plan in motion.

And this time, she wouldn't fail.

A slow, sinister smile crept onto her lips.

Before she shattered Sarvagya's world, she wanted to find something—his weakness, the one thing that could break him beyond repair.

His past.

His secrets.

His girlfriend.

Because once she had that, she wouldn't just separate Sarvagya from Tripti—she would make sure Tripti herself destroyed him.

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The crisp morning air clung to Sarvagya's skin as he slowed his pace, jogging back toward the house. His muscles burned slightly from the run, but his mind was more preoccupied than his body. Just as he reached the gates, he spotted someone approaching from the opposite direction—Shashank.

Sarvagya sighed. Great. Just what I needed first thing in the morning.

Shashank, seemingly in high spirits, picked up his speed, running directly toward him with an annoyingly wide grin.

"Good morning, Sarvagya!" Shashank called out, a little too cheerfully.

Sarvagya made a face. "My morning can never be 'good' if it starts with your face."

Shashank's smirk deepened as he slowed down beside him. "Oh, come on! You saw someone else's face first thing in the morning, didn't you? You know what I mean."

Sarvagya rolled his eyes. "No, I don't. And do you seriously not have anything better to do than irritate me?"

Shashank shook his head dramatically. "Nope. Irritating you is my favorite pastime."

Sarvagya shot him a glare. "Get lost."

Without waiting for a reply, he walked toward the house.

But Shashank wasn't done yet. He called out after him, "At least tell me what happened last night! You left for jogging so early—does that mean you slept early too?"

Sarvagya didn't even look back as he shouted, "Just shut up!" before stepping inside.

The moment he entered, a servant opened the door for him, and his eyes scanned the living room. The entire family was gathered there, engaged in light conversations. His aunt, Sweety, was chatting animatedly with Tripti, who seemed to be enjoying her company.

His father, Keshav, was missing.

Sarvagya greeted everyone with a polite 'Good Morning' before heading upstairs to freshen up.

Just as he disappeared up the stairs, Shashank strolled into the living room. His gaze instinctively landed on Tripti, and for a fleeting moment, he was caught off guard.

He had never really looked at her closely before. But now, in the soft morning light, dressed in that elegant yellow Anarkali, she looked stunning. There was something effortlessly graceful about her—something that made it difficult for him to look away.

But as quickly as the thought came, he pushed it aside.

Shashank snapped out of his daze and forced his usual smirk before greeting everyone.

Meanwhile, Sonali turned to Tripti. "So, you've packed your bags, right? What kind of outfits did you pack?"

Tripti frowned in confusion. "Packed? Packed for what?"

Sonali looked equally surprised. "Wait… you don't know?"

Sejal, who had been silently observing, smoothly intervened. "There's plenty of time for packing, Sonali. Anyway, before that, Tripti and Sarvagya have to visit her parents' house as per tradition. After that, she can pack whatever she needs. She might also want to buy some casual outfits—since I doubt she brought many."

Tripti turned to her. "But where exactly am I going?"

Sonali's eyes lit up with excitement. "On your honeymoon, of course!"

Just as she said that, Sarvagya, now refreshed, descended the stairs. He paused mid-step. "Honeymoon?"

Sonali nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! You didn't know?"

Sarvagya blinked, still processing. "No. Who planned this honeymoon trip?"

Sejal cleared her throat lightly. "This trip was originally planned for Manisha and Shashank. But since you got married instead, it's only natural that you two go now."

Sonali turned to Sarvagya. "Wait… where were you last night when this was being discussed?"

Sejal responded before he could. "In his room. Sarvagya and Tripti didn't know about it yet, and I wanted to tell them myself, but you beat me to it, Sonali."

Sonali shrugged. "I don't see the problem! It's good news! Bhaiya and Bhabhi must be over the moon thinking about their one-month honeymoon trip!"

Both Sarvagya and Tripti froze.

"One month?!" they said in unison.

Sonali grinned. "Yep! A full month! Since you two had a long-distance relationship before, we figured you should get some time to actually be together. Once you return, you'll both be busy with work anyway."

Sarvagya exhaled sharply. "But… we could always take a trip later. Is it really necessary to leave now?"

His aunt, Sweety, interjected "Sejal planned everything with so much love for you two. Don't hurt her feelings, Sarvagya. Just go and enjoy."

Sejal smiled, a picture of maternal affection.

The relatives all assumed she had arranged this trip purely out of love, as if she considered Sarvagya her own son.

But Sarvagya knew better.

This wasn't a gesture of love.

This was a trap.

Sejal had just wrecked all of his plans.

He had been preparing for something important—something that would finally give him freedom from this household. But now, with this sudden trip, everything has been thrown off course.

And deep down, he knew…

This trip wasn't just about sending them away.

Sejal had something much, much bigger planned.

What is Sejal really planning?

Why does she hate Sarvagya so much?

Will Sarvagya and Tripti escape her trap?