Our Defeat!

Trust Evicted.

Later that same night, there was a gentle knock on the door, and Aly entered the room.
"Karishma, tayar ho jao. There’s a dinner party at the lounge tonight, organized for all the family members of the IPS cadre."

Karishma looked up, surprised but intrigued. "Dinner party ?"

Aly nodded, walking over to the wardrobe. Karishma followed him, unpacking her bag. "Party ke liye hum kya pehne?"
Aly took out his clothes and replied, "Kuch bhi pehn lo."Hearing this, Karishma felt a little sad.

The old Aly would have eagerly searched through her bag to find his favorite outfit for her, ensuring she looked perfect.
Suppressing her disappointment,

Karishma picked out a simple yet elegant gown. "Theek hai, toh hum ye phen lete hai". As she got ready, she couldn't help but feel the distance between them.

Aly dressed quickly and efficiently, hardly looking at her. Karishma tried to engage him in conversation, hoping to bridge the gap.

"Aly, dinner pe kon kon hoga, humara matlab hai hum jante nahi kisi ko nah. " she asked, applying her makeup.

Aly's response was terse. "Don't worry karishma, ek informal gathering hai. Aur sabhi cadets ke family members honge, vo bhi phele kisko nahi jante"

Karishma felt a pang of anxiety at the mention everyone being stranger, she not that special there! She hoped the evening wouldn't bring more trouble.

Once they were both ready, they headed to the lounge together. The room was buzzing with chatter and laughter, filled with well-dressed guests. Karishma plastered on a polite smile, determined to get through the evening gracefully.

As they mingled, Karishma couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. She turned to see a man, whose gaze was lingering on her. She quickly looked away, staying close to Aly for comfort.

Throughout the dinner, Aly remained distant, only speaking when necessary. Karishma made several attempts to lighten the mood, but his responses were curt.

"Sab log kitne excited lag rahe hain," Karishma remarked, trying to engage him.
"Hmm," was Aly's only reply, as he continued to eat without looking at her.

Feeling disheartened, Karishma excused herself to the restroom, needing a moment to gather her thoughts.

"Aly humare sath hai par humare pass nahi! "

As she splashed water on her face, she silently vowed to find a way to make things right with Aly at any cost.
"Hume ghar jaane se phele, hum dono yeh beech ki dewar ko khatam karna hoga!"

When she returned, she noticed Aly speaking with Mr. Syed. She approached cautiously, hoping to join the conversation.

"Karishma, this is Mr. Syed and his family. Mr. Syed, meet my wife, Karishma." Aly introduced her which made half of her doubts wash away.

Mr. Syed extended a warm hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Karishma."
Karishma smiled graciously. "Thank you, Mr. Syed. It's wonderful to meet you and your family" pointing out at his wife and his two children.

"Yes, that's my daughter Ira,"  He continued "Aly might have said a lot of things about her." Stating that they are best friends and unseperable to which karishma just nodded her head glancing at Aly thinking - humse baat kare toh Hume kuch pta chale!

"And that's my wife and my son" They all exchanged pleasantries, Karishma noticed Mr. Syed's son, Ekbir, staring at her with an unsettling intensity.