Soul Swap: Trapped Forever

"Tripti, let's do the 'Meetha Rasam' now," Sejal suggested warmly. "It's already noon, and it's time to prepare lunch. You only need to make something sweet; the servants will handle the rest of the food."

Tripti nodded politely. "Okay, Aunty."

Sejal smiled, attempting to make a good impression. "Don't call me Aunty. I'm like your mother. I may not be Sarvagya's biological mother, but I have never treated him differently from Shashank. So, you can call me 'Mom' instead."

Hearing this made Tripti feel uneasy. Every word Sejal spoke seemed laced with artificial warmth, and Tripti found it difficult to believe in her sudden affection. But she masked her emotions with a polite smile. "I'll try," she said. "It will take me some time to adjust to this change. Until then, I hope you won't mind if I continue calling you Aunty."

Sejal forced a smile. "Of course, dear. No problem at all. But before heading to the kitchen, freshen up and change into something more comfortable. Your belongings have already been sent to your room."

Tripti simply nodded, not wanting to prolong the conversation.

Sejal turned to Sarvagya. "Beta (Son), take Tripti to your room."

Sarvagya gave a slight nod. "Okay."

The word 'beta' from Sejal's mouth made Sarvagya's stomach churn. He despised the pretense but chose to remain silent. Instead, he gently took Tripti's hand and led her upstairs to their room.

As they walked, Tripti struggled with the weight of her elaborate lehenga, making it difficult for her to climb the stairs. Without a second thought, Sarvagya bent down and lifted the hem of her lehenga, ensuring she didn't trip. His protective gesture didn't go unnoticed, and soon, playful cheers erupted from the living room below.

Sarvagya ignored the teasing. His only concern was Tripti's comfort. Finally, they reached their room. He opened the door, stepped inside with her, and immediately locked it behind them.

The moment they were alone, Sarvagya pulled her into a deep embrace, burying his face in her neck.

"Finally," he whispered against her skin. "Finally, we have some privacy. I've been longing to hold you like this."

Tripti smiled and wrapped her arms around him. "Me too. It feels like we've been hiding our feelings forever. Now, we don't have to pretend anymore."

Sarvagya cupped her face gently, his thumb brushing against her cheek. "You don't have to go if you don't want to. Stay here with me."

Tripti chuckled softly. "If I stay here now, your dear family members will suspect something. We must be careful, Sarvagya."

He smirked. "Don't worry about that. I've already told them I'll be staying in my study room, so no one will question anything."

She playfully tapped his cheek. "But the guests will notice if I don't come out. They'll start teasing us endlessly. Besides, I promised to make something sweet. Aren't you excited to taste my cooking?"

His eyes lit up. "Excited? I've been waiting for this! You told me you love cooking and that you're amazing at it, so I can't wait to taste your magic."

Tripti laughed. "Then let me go, or you'll be waiting forever."

Sarvagya held her tighter. "I don't want to let you go. Now that you're finally in my arms, I feel like keeping you here forever. But fine… Go. But remember, after dinner, you're coming straight back here. And this time, I won't let you go."

He leaned in as if to kiss her but then stopped himself.

"Not yet," he murmured, pulling back with a teasing smile. "Our first kiss should be special. We promised it would happen on our wedding night. I should wait."

Tripti's heart melted at his thoughtfulness. She cupped his face and whispered, "Oh, my sweetheart… I love you so much."

Sarvagya kissed her forehead. "I love you more."

With great reluctance, he let her go. She stepped away, sighing as she loosened the heavy jewelry and let her hair down. "This lehenga is suffocating me. I need to change."

Sarvagya leaned against the door, watching her with amusement. "Want some help? That hairdo of yours looks like a puzzle. It might take you hours to undo it."

She laughed. "You're right."

She was about to open her suitcase when Sargya stopped her. "Wait. I want to take some pictures first."

"Pictures?" she asked, raising a brow.

"Yeah! Who knows when we'll get the official wedding photos? I need something to show my friends right now."

Trupti chuckled. "Fine, let's take a selfie."

Sargya quickly pulled out his phone and snapped several pictures with her. It was their first selfie together—until now, they had barely gotten any time alone. Their relationship had always been long-distance, and just when they were supposed to meet in person for the second time, their wedding happened instead. But neither of them regretted it.

After clicking a few pictures, Trupti unzipped the suitcase and started looking for something to wear. But as she rummaged through the clothes, her expression changed.

"What the—?" She muttered, sifting through the contents. There were no sarees, no traditional outfits. Instead, the suitcase was filled with designer gowns, jumpsuits, jeans, shorts, and trendy dresses.

Sargya blinked. "Uh… baby, why did you pack these? We aren't going on a honeymoon yet."

Trupti groaned. "These aren't my clothes. This is Manisha's luggage. Her parents must have sent it by mistake. What was she thinking? Was she getting married, or planning a vacation?"

Sargya smirked. "She probably planned to run away from the start. Looks like she picked up the wrong bag when she left."

Trupti huffed in frustration. "Now what? I'll call Mom."

She quickly dialed Manorama's number. "Mom, why didn't you check the bags before sending them?"

Manorama sounded confused. "What do you mean? What's wrong?"

"Manisha's suitcase is here, not mine! There's not a single traditional outfit. What am I supposed to wear?"

Manorama sighed in relief. "Oh, that's not a problem. I sent an extra bag for you. It's green. Check properly—you should find it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Look for a green suitcase."

"Okay. I'll call you later. Bye."

Trupti ended the call and turned to Sargya. "Go downstairs and find my green bag. Quick!"

Sargya grinned. "So, that bag has your clothes?"

Trupti shot him a glare. "Yes! Now go!"

Laughing, he left the room and went downstairs. There, he searched through the pile of gifts and luggage. His aunt noticed him and asked, "What are you looking for?"

"Trupti's bag. Not all of her belongings made it to the room."

His aunt chuckled. "Wow, what a perfect husband. Helping his wife so she doesn't face any trouble. Impressive!"

Sarvagya raised an eyebrow and asked, "Thank you, but why is there so much luggage? Did you demand a dowry?"

Sejal quickly denied, "No, no. Manisha's parents sent gifts for everyone, and Tripti's parents also sent a lot of things. That's why there's so much."

Sarvagya simply said, "Okay," and quickly made his way back to Tripti's room with the green bag. Once inside, Tripti had removed her makeup and jewelry, and she was busy unpinning her hair.

Sarvagya locked the door behind him and began helping her. Once he had removed all the pins from her hair, she finally felt some relief. She thanked him, and they opened the suitcase together. It was filled with clothes and jewelry—just as Manorama had promised.

Tripti picked out a red saree and headed to the bathroom to freshen up.

When she emerged, dressed in the elegant red saree, with her hair flowing down her back and a simple bindi on her forehead, Sarvagya couldn't look away.

"You look… breathtaking," he whispered, his voice filled with admiration.

Tripti blushed as he stepped closer, his fingers grazing her cheek. Then, he took a pinch of sindoor and filled her maang, sealing their bond.

"Now, you look complete" he murmured, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

As he slipped bangles onto her wrists, he grinned. "You know, I'm having second thoughts about letting you leave this room."

Tripti smiled, "I wish we could be like this all the time, but we have to go out of this room. I'm sure the relatives are already starting to make assumptions. They'll never leave us alone if we stay here."

Sarvagya pouted, "These relatives! But no worries, I'll forgive them... for now."

Tripti raised an eyebrow, "Why?"

Sarvagya stepped closer, his voice turning husky, "Because during the day, they can do whatever they want, but tonight, it will be mine. Tonight, I'll have you all to myself, and I know you won't stop me, right, baby?"

Tripti froze. The way Sarvagya said those words, with that deep, almost possessive tone, made her feel an electrifying shiver down her spine. She knew exactly what he was planning for the night, and she could sense how serious he was about it.

Her cheeks flushed, her heart pounded, and she was lost in a whirlwind of emotions. Despite being a newlywed, a sense of nervousness and anticipation gripped her. Why was she feeling this way?

Was Sarvagya just teasing her, or was he truly planning something intimate for tonight?