Bound by a fractured past and facing an uncertain future, the relationship between Pakistan and India has been defined more by mistrust than by meaningful engagement. The May 2025 military confrontation marked yet another inflection point, a chilling reminder that the true cost of conflict is not measured in missiles or summits, but in the opportunities lost for generations to come. Deterrence may have prevented a full-blown conflict, but the confrontation further widened the diplomatic gulf between the two neighbours.