Soul Swap: Trapped Forever

Before Sarvagya could fully process what was happening, his instincts took over. In a flash, he grabbed the stranger's arm and yanked him away from Tripti, placing himself protectively between them. His sharp, piercing gaze locked onto the man.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Sarvagya's voice was dangerously low, but his rage was unmistakable. "Do you have no manners? How dare you hug my wife like that?"

The young man took a step back, visibly startled. "Wife?" he echoed, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

Tripti, who had barely recovered from the sudden invasion of her personal space, took a deep breath and crossed her arms. "Who are you?" she demanded. "And how dare you touch me? Is this how you treat random women you come across?"

The man's face twitched with slight amusement as he composed himself. "I'm Avinash Shukla" he introduced himself, as if expecting her to recognize the name instantly. "You should remember me. We were in the same college. Same semester, same class."

Tripti's expression remained blank. She shook her head. "Nope, doesn't ring a bell. It's been years since I graduated. I can't possibly be expected to remember everyone." Her tone was laced with irritation. "And even if I did know you, why the hell would you call me darling? Is this how you greet all your former classmates?"

Avinash smirked, but there was something unsettling in his eyes. "No, of course not. But you aren't just a classmate, Tripti." He tilted his head slightly. "Didn't your father tell you?"

Tripti and Sarvagya exchanged a glance before responding in unison. "Tell us what?"

Avinash shoved his hands into his pockets, looking almost amused at their confusion. "Your father finalized our engagement two weeks ago," he said, watching her reaction carefully. "The wedding date hasn't been set yet, but it will be soon. I agreed immediately because, well… I have liked you since college." His lips curved into a small smile. "But judging by your reaction, I'm guessing you had no idea."

For a moment, there was complete silence.

Then, in a slow, deliberate motion, Sarvagya stepped forward and wrapped his arm securely around Tripti's waist, pulling her close. His voice was laced with steel. "Excuse me, Mister Avinash, but as I already told you, Tripti is my wife. So do yourself a favor and stay away from her." His dark eyes burned with fury. "Or are you blind? Can't you see the sindoor in her hair? The mangalsutra around her neck? The bangles on her wrists?"

Avinash's gaze dropped to Tripti's hands, where delicate red bangles adorned her wrists. His eyes trailed lower, noticing the anklets on her feet. It was only now that he registered the symbols of her marriage. She was wearing a white one-piece dress, so his focus had been solely on her face and figure. But now, the realization hit him like a truck.

His expression shifted from confusion to disbelief—almost as if he had seen a ghost.

Meanwhile, Sarvagya's patience was hanging by a thread. A storm raged within him. He wasn't just furious—he was jealous. He hated that another man had addressed his wife so intimately, that this stranger had touched her, and worst of all, that Tripti's father had secretly arranged her marriage to someone else while she was already with him.

Tripti, on the other hand, felt an entirely different kind of rage.

Her hands curled into fists. How dare my father do this? Not only had he fixed her marriage with another man without her knowledge, but he had also kept it from her for two whole weeks! The betrayal stung. She had always known her father tried to control her life, but this? This was beyond unacceptable.

Avinash scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. "So let me get this straight…" He exhaled sharply. "Your father arranged your marriage with someone else, while I was under the impression that we were getting engaged?" His jaw tightened. "I was played."

Sarvagya let out a humorless chuckle. "Sounds like a personal problem. Maybe you should take it up with him instead of harassing my wife." His grip on Tripti's waist didn't loosen. "And for the record—don't ever try to come near her again."

Tripti nodded in agreement. "Exactly. I had no idea about this so-called engagement, and frankly, I don't care. I'm already married to Sarvagya, and I'm very happy with him." Her voice was firm, her stance unwavering. "If you have any questions, feel free to ask my father. But as for me? I don't know you, and I don't want to."

Avinash's jaw clenched, his knuckles turning white as he balled his fists. "Was this an arranged marriage or a love marriage?" he demanded.

Tripti hesitated for the briefest moment before answering. "Arranged marriage." she said. "My father chose Sarvagya for me."

A slow, bitter smirk formed on Avinash's lips. "Oh," he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "So your father arranged your marriage. He just conveniently forgot to tell me that he'd chosen someone else."

Sarvagya's patience snapped. "Whatever game your mind is playing, I don't care. But let me make one thing crystal clear—Tripti is my wife, and I will not tolerate anyone disrespecting her or our marriage." His voice was deadly calm, but there was no mistaking the threat behind it.

Avinash exhaled sharply through his nose, his eyes narrowing. His voice dropped into a menacing whisper. "Your father lied to me. He gave me false hope. He will have to pay for this."

Without another word, he turned on his heel and stormed out of the store, his footsteps echoing against the floor.

A tense silence lingered in the air long after he left.

Tripti exhaled slowly. Her anger still burned, but at this moment, she just wanted to breathe. She turned toward Sarvagya, who was still fuming, and gently wrapped her arms around him. "Let it go," she murmured against his shoulder. "We're in a public place. Let's not waste our energy on him."

Sarvagya took a deep breath, his arms instinctively tightening around her. The warmth of her embrace soothed him, but his mind was still clouded with frustration. "I don't trust that guy," he muttered.

Tripti sighed. "Neither do I."

But for now, they chose to push it aside. They had come here for a reason, and they weren't about to let Avinash ruin their evening.

With one final glance toward the entrance where he had disappeared, Tripti squared her shoulders and picked up the dresses she had set aside. She walked toward the trial room, her head held high.

Little did she know…

This was far from over.

After wrapping up her shopping, Tripti turned her attention to picking out some clothes for Sarvagya. However, fashion was never her strong suit, and it didn't take long for her to give up. Sarvagya, ever the perfectionist, took over and selected his outfits himself. Once they had purchased everything they needed, they decided to head to a nearby hotel for dinner, as it was already past eight in the evening.

As they settled at their table and placed their order, Sarvagya leaned back in his chair, exhaling deeply. His gaze was sharp, filled with disbelief.

"I still can't wrap my head around this." he said, his fingers tapping lightly on the table. "Your own father—how could he do something like this? He fixed your engagement behind your back and didn't even think it was necessary to tell you?"

Tripti sighed and took a sip of water before answering, her frustration evident.

"I know, right? I'm beyond furious. I mean, I'm only twenty-three. Shouldn't he at least ask me if I'm ready for marriage? Even if he wanted an arranged marriage, the least he could've done was let me meet the guy. But no, he went ahead and sealed the deal all by himself, and it's been two weeks, yet I was kept in the dark."

Sarvagya narrowed his eyes. "Why would he do that? There has to be a reason."

Tripti set her glass down with a thud. "Because he knew I wouldn't agree easily. That's why he planned everything behind my back, making sure I wouldn't have a chance to argue. He probably intended to tell me just a few days before the wedding, leaving me with no time to escape. And now I finally understand why Mom had so many clothes in my size ready for the wedding. She was in on it the entire time."

Sarvagya studied her intently before asking, "If there had been no drama at Shashank's wedding, and you found out about your engagement later, would you have gone through with it?"

Tripti didn't even hesitate. "Never. I belong only to you."

A soft chuckle escaped Sarvagya's lips. "That's good to hear. But I need to ask... When Manisha ran away and they suggested you as the replacement bride, what was the first thought that crossed your mind?"

Tripti leaned back, crossing her arms. "The first thing I made clear was that if they wanted me to get married, the groom had to change too. I would rather die than marry Shashank."

Sarvagya reached across the table and gently placed a finger over her lips. His voice softened. "Don't ever say that again. I hate hearing you talk about dying."

A small smile played on Tripti's lips. "But it's true. That was my first thought."

"Thank God your brother-in-law suggested my name," Sarvagya mused. "And even more surprising, the Agnihotri family agreed without throwing a tantrum."

Tripti smirked. "Oh, please. Even if they had thrown a fit, I had already guessed that my brother-in-law would pick you. After all, you're still Shashank's brother—stepbrother, but still his brother. It was the most logical choice."

Sarvagya tilted his head. "And if, hypothetically, he had chosen someone else?"

Tripti raised an eyebrow. "I would have refused outright. And if they forced me, I would have found a way to run. But honestly, I had already anticipated that they'd pick you. And thank God Manisha ran away. Otherwise, I would be racking my brain right now, trying to find a way to escape my wedding with Avinash."

Sarvagya's eyes darkened slightly as he leaned in. "If that had happened, I would've run away with you."

Tripti's breath hitched. "Are you serious?"

"Dead serious" he replied without hesitation. "I wouldn't have let anyone else take you from me. But thanks to you, everything fell into place perfectly."

Tripti found herself blushing under his intense gaze. And before she could recover, Sarvagya leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss on her lips. Her eyes widened in shock.

"We're in public!" she whispered, looking around.

Sarvagya simply shrugged. "So? We're married. This is normal between a husband and wife."

Tripti rolled her eyes, but a small smile lingered on her lips.

Before they could continue their conversation, a waiter arrived with their food. They thanked him and were just about to start eating when a voice interrupted them.