Our Defeat!

Distorted!

Pushpa ji, who had been silent through the shocking revelation, suddenly looked as if the ground beneath her had given way.

The warmth and love that once radiated from her face were replaced with a storm of disbelief and piercing sorrow. Her lips quivered as she fought to hold back the tears that now brimmed in her eyes, her world crumbling around her.

"Aap... aapke kehne ka matlab yeh hai ki aapne Aly ko dhoka diya? Yeh... yeh kaise ho sakta hai? Aap dono toh ek dusre se... bahut pyar karte ho, hai na?" Her voice faltered, each word laced with a desperation to deny the reality that had shattered her heart.

It was as if she were pleading with her daughter to take back the words, to tell her it was all some terrible mistake. Aly, sensing the depth of her pain, gently placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to offer solace in a moment that felt beyond repair.

Karishma, her face streaked with tears, reached out to Aly, her voice trembling, "Amma, hum sach main bahut sharminda hai... Aly..." she said in a fearful voice.

But before she could finish, Aly, his own emotions raw and bleeding, recoiled, pulling his arm away from her grasp. The suddenness of his action struck Karishma like a physical blow, leaving her reeling with shock and anguish.

Karishma's heart pounded as Aly pulled away, the cold distance between them growing more suffocating by the second.
Desperation filled her voice as she reached out to him again, tears streaming down her face.

"Aly, please...tumne toh hume..maaf kar diya tha nah, toh ab yeh gussa..?" She worriedly asked.

But before she could finish, a sharp sound cut through the air. Anubhav, consumed by rage, had stepped forward and slapped Karishma across the face.

The force of the blow was not just physical but emotional, a brutal reminder of her past mistakes. The scenario seemed to freeze, the shock of the act reverberating through everyone present.

Anubhav's eyes burned with a mixture of fury and heartbreak as he grabbed Karishma by the shoulders, turning her to face him. "Tumhe apni galtiyon ka ahsaas hai, Karishma? Kya tum samajhti ho ki tumne sirf Aly ko nahi, apne aapko, apne parivaar ko bhi dhoka diya hai?

Tumhare ek faisle ne humara saar sharam se jhuka diya, aur ab tum bas maafi maang kar sab kuch theek nahi kar sakti"
Karishma's lips trembled, her voice barely a whisper. "Bhai, hum—"

But before she could say another word, Aly stepped forward, his eyes blazing with a protective fury. He grabbed Anubhav's arm, pulling him away from Karishma with a force that left no room for resistance.

"Bas, Anubhav!" Aly's voice was like thunder, filled with an authority that demanded immediate silence.

He stepped between Karishma and Anubhav, shielding her with his body as he glared at her brother. "Koi haq nahi hai tumhara Karishma par haath uthane ka. Jo kuch bhi hua hai, wo sirf hamara mamla hai, tumhara nahi."

Karishma, still reeling from the slap, looked up at Aly with a mix of relief and sorrow. Aly, his anger still simmering beneath the surface, turned to her, his gaze softening as he saw the fear and pain in her eyes.

"Karishma, tumse galti hui hai, lekin iska matlab yeh nahi hai ki tum ab aur sazaa bardo. Humne maaf kiya tha usse, apne dil se... aur yeh baat humne apne parivaar ke liye, apne liye ki hai. Aur past jo bhi hua hai, usse hum apne dimag se nikal chuke hain."

Anubhav, still furious but taken aback by Aly's fierce defense, took a step back, his fists clenched.  Aly, without breaking eye contact with Karishma, continued,