The party fizzled out around midnight. Plates clinked, laughter softened, and one by one, the guests began to leave. But the Sharmas and Singhs remained ,as usual , the two families too close to call it a night so early.

Surekha and Nikita slipped into the kitchen to clean up, giggling like teenagers over a half-finished bottle of wine. Sudhir sprawled out on the recliner, eyes half-shut, pretending to scroll his phone while eyeing his wife’s figure in the distance. Priya had gone off to her room, exhausted and stuffed, while Alia had dragged Simran to the guest bedroom to show her something on her phone.