Soul Swap: Trapped Forever

Sejal sat in her lavishly decorated room, her manicured fingers tapping rhythmically on the glass table as she discussed her latest scheme with Shashank. The dim lighting cast long shadows on the walls, giving the atmosphere an almost conspiratorial air. She spoke with sharp precision, weaving the details of her plan with an enthusiasm that made it clear she had spent considerable time strategizing. But despite her relentless talking, Shashank wasn't listening.

His mind was elsewhere. Or rather—on someone else.

Tripti.

The name had never meant much to him before, just another pawn in the grand game Sejal played. But today, for the first time, she wasn't just a name or a face in the background. She was a presence—one that refused to leave his thoughts.

Why?

Shashank prided himself on his self-control, on his ability to detach himself from emotions, but today, he felt something strange. A pull. A deep, unsettling attraction that he couldn't quite explain. He had seen women more beautiful than Tripti—been with them, even. And yet, she had something that no other woman had ever possessed in his eyes.

Was it her defiant spirit? The way she carried herself, refusing to be broken by the expectations shackling her? Or was it simply because she belonged to someone else—someone he had never considered a rival until now?

He remembered seeing her briefly on the day of her wedding. At the time, she had been just another bride, weighed down in layers of silk and jewelry, the standard image of an Indian bride. He hadn't even truly looked at her then. But now, he regrets it. If he had just taken a moment to really see her, would things be different? Would he have stepped in, changed the course of things?

A small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. Maybe he should have married her himself.

"Shashank?"

Sejal's sharp voice snapped him back to reality.

"Are you even listening to me?" she demanded, narrowing her eyes. "What are you thinking about?"

Shashank forced a casual smile. "Nothing important mom. What were you saying?"

Sejal was about to respond when a soft knock echoed through the room. A servant peered in hesitantly.

"Madam," the servant said, fumbling with his words. "Deep… I mean, the driver who took Sarvagya sir and Tripti madam to the airport—he's back. He wishes to see you."

Sejal's lips curled into a smirk. "Send him in immediately."

Shashank frowned. "Deep? Why does he need to see you?"

Sejal leaned back, her expression smug. "Because he has something interesting to tell me. I instructed him to keep an eye on Sarvagya and Tripti. Now he's here to report."

Shashank rolled his eyes. "You do know phones exist, right?"

Sejal scoffed. "Phones are for communicating with people who are far away. When someone has to come home anyway, why waste time on a call? Besides, when you talk face-to-face, it's easier to tell if someone is lying."

Shashank arched his brow. "And why would he lie?"

Sejal shrugged. "Because just as I bought his loyalty with money, Sarvagya might do the same. People are predictable that way."

Before Shashank could respond, another knock came at the door.

"Come in, Deep." Sejal called out lazily. "No need for greetings—just get to the point."

The driver stepped in, bowing his head slightly. "I dropped sir and madam at the airport."

Sejal nodded. "Good. Now, tell me everything that happened yesterday."

Deep cleared his throat. "When we left, sir and madam barely spoke to each other. They both looked tired and soon fell asleep in the car. After dropping them off, I stayed in the servants' quarters, so I don't know much about what happened inside. But in the evening, they went out shopping and had dinner outside."

Sejal's eyes narrowed. "Everything seemed normal?"

Deep hesitated. "I overheard some of the household staff talking… Apparently, a man named Avinash visited madam's home. He was the one her father had chosen for her, but after she married Sarvagya instead, he was furious. He came to confront her father."

Sejal's lips curled into a slow, sinister smile. "Interesting. Was Sarvagya there when this happened?"

Deep shook his head. "No, sir was at the mall at the time. No one knows exactly what was said, but after returning, madam argued with her parents. That same night, she and sir packed their things and moved into a hotel. I picked them up from there this morning and took them to the airport."

Shashank raised an eyebrow. "That's it?"

Deep nodded. "Yes, sir. That's all I know. Everything else, I only heard from the servants."

Sejal tapped her fingers on the desk thoughtfully. "Alright. You may leave now."

Once the door shut behind Deep, Shashank turned to his mother. "And how exactly does this information help you?"

Sejal smirked. "Avinash."

Shashank frowned. "What about him?"

Sejal's eyes glinted with intrigue. "Find out everything you can about him. He could be very useful."

Shashank exhaled in frustration. "Mom, Avinash was just a match her father arranged. Tripti wasn't in love with him. You're wasting your time."

Sejal leaned forward. "Or maybe she was."

Shashank gave her a skeptical look. "You really think Tripti had feelings for Avinash?"

Sejal nodded. "And you told me Sarvagya and Tripti are playing friends now, right?"

"So?"

"So, what if it's all an act?" Sejal said, her voice dripping with amusement. "Think about it. Sarvagya has a girlfriend, doesn't he? What if Tripti has a boyfriend too? What if Avinash is the one?"

Shashank leaned back, considering. "And you think Tripti knows about Sarvagya's girlfriend?"

Sejal nodded confidently. "Exactly. I bet they discussed it before their wedding. That's why Sarvagya told you he'd marry his girlfriend after a year—because Tripti already agreed to it."

Shashank ran a hand through his hair. "So if we confirm Avinash is Tripti's boyfriend, what's your plan?"

Sejal smirked. "Oh, darling, that's when the real game begins. First, we find Sarvagya's girlfriend. Then, we create situations where Sarvagya and Tripti grow closer—so close that Sarvagya starts preferring his wife over his girlfriend."

Shashank frowned. "That's a ridiculous plan. Sarvagya will never fall for Tripti while he has someone else."

Sejal arched his brow. "Why not? If you, despite knowing she's married, can be attracted to Tripti, why wouldn't Sarvagya?"

Shashank's entire body stiffened. His mother's words hit like a slap. His gaze snapped to hers, and she was smiling—an all-knowing, victorious smile.

"I'm your mother, Shashank. I always know what you're thinking," she said smoothly. "The way you looked at Tripti yesterday… the way you spaced out just now at the mere mention of her. I can read you like an open book."

Shashank clenched his jaw. "That's different, Mom. I've had girlfriends before. Sarvagya isn't like me."

Sejal let out a mocking laugh. "Sweetheart, all men are the same. It doesn't take long for feelings to shift. If Sarvagya truly loved his girlfriend, he would have never agreed to this marriage. And now that he's married, it's only a matter of time before he forgets her and starts seeing Tripti in a new light. But I won't let that happen."

Shashank exhaled sharply. "And how can you be so sure?"

Sejal's smirk vanished. A shadow passed over her face, a flicker of something unreadable. Then, she let out a dry chuckle.

"Because I've seen this happen before" she murmured. "History has a habit of repeating itself… but this time, I will be the one to control the narrative."

Shashank's jaw tightened at his mother's words, a flicker of something unrecognizable passing through his eyes. Was he falling for Tripti?

No. That was ridiculous. She was just another girl. Nothing special. Nothing he couldn't have if he wanted. And yet…

Yet, Sejal had seen it before he could even fully acknowledge it himself. That was the problem with his mother. She was sharp—sharper than most people gave her credit for. She could see the cracks in a person long before they even knew they had started to break.

He leaned back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest, forcing a smirk on his lips. "I think you're overestimating your own manipulative powers, Ma. I'm not some lovesick fool, and neither is Sarvagya."

Sejal's gaze sharpened. "Oh, but you are, my dear boy. You just don't know it yet."

Her voice was soft, dangerously gentle, as if she were speaking to a child who had yet to understand the rules of the world.

Shashank scoffed. "Please. If you think I'm going to turn into one of your pawns, you're mistaken. Whatever I do, I do for myself."

Sejal chuckled, sipping her wine slowly, savoring the moment. "Oh, sweetheart. You're already in the game. You just haven't realized it yet."

Shashank's fingers curled into fists against his arms. "And what exactly do you think I'll do?"

Sejal tilted her head, her smile deepening. "You tell me. Because whether you admit it or not, you're curious about Tripti, aren't you? You want to know what it would be like if she was yours."

Shashank remained silent.

Sejal leaned forward slightly, her voice a whisper, silk-wrapped steel. "And if you feel that way after barely knowing her… imagine how easy it will be for Sarvagya to feel the same if given the right push. A nudge in the right direction. A little doubt here, a little temptation there. After all, he has a woman waiting for him back home, doesn't he?"

Shashank narrowed his eyes. "So what's your plan? To make him betray his girlfriend with Tripti?"

Sejal shrugged elegantly. "Not necessarily. I don't need him to act on it. I just need him to think about it. To feel something. Guilt, conflict, confusion—those are far more powerful than any physical affair. If he starts questioning himself, questioning his relationship, that's all we need."

She swirled the wine in her glass, watching the liquid move like blood in candlelight. "And once that happens… we'll simply give Avinash an opportunity."

Shashank tapped his fingers against the table, his mind whirring. He didn't like this plan. Not because he had a moral issue with it—far from it. He had done worse things in his life, played darker games than this. But something about the way Sejal spoke about Sarvagya—about breaking him—felt deeply personal.

Too personal.

He watched his mother carefully, taking in the slight tension in her jaw, the way her fingers pressed just a little too tightly around her glass. This wasn't just a game for her.

This was revenge.

And that meant there was something she wasn't telling him.

"Why do you hate him so much?" Shashank asked suddenly.

Sejal's expression didn't change, but he saw the subtle flicker in her eyes. It was gone in an instant, but he had caught it.

She took another sip of her wine, setting the glass down with deliberate slowness. "I told you before. He's an obstacle. One that needs to be removed."

Shashank didn't buy it. He had grown up watching his mother manipulate people, twist them into her pawns with a smile and a whisper. She had taken down powerful men with nothing but her mind and patience. She never wasted her time on people who weren't worth it.

So why was Sarvagya different?

"You don't usually waste this much energy on obstacles" he mused. "What did he do to you?"

Sejal's fingers twitched slightly. Barely noticeable, but for someone like Shashank—who had spent his whole life learning to read people—it was as loud as a gunshot.

She was hiding something.

And whatever it was, it wasn't just about Sarvagya standing in their way.

Shashank smirked, leaning forward, his voice deliberately taunting. "Or is it personal? Did he remind you of someone? Or maybe… Did he take something from you?"

For the first time in a long time, Sejal's smile faltered.

It was slight. Barely there. But Shashank saw it.

And in that moment, he knew.

This wasn't just about Tripti. It wasn't just about Sarvagya.

There was something else at play here. Something bigger. Something deeper.

And for the first time since this whole thing started…

Shashank wasn't sure if he was the one playing the game.

Or if he was just another pawn in it.