/* main carousel container */
        .carousel-container {
            max-width: 1400px;
            width: 100%;
            margin: 3rem auto;
            backdrop-filter: blur(2px);
            padding: 1.5rem 0;
            box-shadow: 0 25px 40px rgba(0,0,0,0.2);
        }

        /* viewport: hides overflow, holds track */
        .carousel-viewport {
            overflow: hidden;
            border-radius: 2rem;
            position: relative;
        }

        /* track: uses transforms for smooth transitions */
        .carousel-track {
            display: flex;
            will-change: transform;
            transition: transform 500ms cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.9, 0.4, 1.1);
            cursor: grab;
        }

        .carousel-track:active {
            cursor: grabbing;
        }

        /* each slide: fixed width based on parent container & visible slides count */
        .carousel-slide {
            flex-shrink: 0;
            padding: 0.5rem;
            /* aspect ratio 16:9 enforced via wrapper inner content */
        }

        /* 16:9 card inner container */
        .card {
            background: white;
            border-radius: 0.275rem;
            box-shadow: 0 15px 30px rgba(0,0,0,0.2);
            overflow: hidden;
            transition: transform 0.2s ease, box-shadow 0.2s;
            aspect-ratio: 16 / 9;
            display: flex;
            flex-direction: column;
            justify-content: center;
            align-items: center;
            background: linear-gradient(135deg, #fff5f0, #ffe6dc);
            text-align: center;
            padding: 1rem;
            min-width:250px;
            position: relative;
        }

        .card:hover {
            transform: translateY(-5px);
            box-shadow: 0 22px 35px rgba(0,0,0,0.25);
        }

        .card-icon {
            font-size: 3rem;
            margin-bottom: 0.5rem;
        }

        .card-title {
            font-weight: 800;
            font-size: 1.3rem;
            background: linear-gradient(120deg, #c0392b, #e67e22);
            background-clip: text;
            -webkit-background-clip: text;
            color: transparent;
            margin: 0.25rem 0;
        }

        .card-desc {
            color: #2c3e50;
            font-weight: 500;
            padding: 0 0.5rem;
            font-size: 0.9rem;
        }

        /* Controls row */
        .carousel-controls {
            display: flex;
            justify-content: space-between;
            align-items: center;
            gap: 1.2rem;
            position:absolute;
            top:50%; 
            transform: translateY(-50%);
            width:100%;
            padding-inline:1rem;
           
        }

        .carousel-control {
            display:inline-block; 
            width:unset;
            background: #1e2a3a;
            border: none;
            color: #ffffff55;
            font-size: 1.2rem;
            line-height: 1;
            font-weight: 600;
            width: 52px;
            height: 52px;
            border-radius: 60px;
            cursor: pointer;
            box-shadow: 0 5px 12px rgba(0,0,0,0.3);
            transition: all 0.2s;
            display: inline-flex;
            align-items: center;
            justify-content: center;
            transition:color .3s ease-out;
            
        }
        .carousel-control:hover {
            color:#ffffff;
        }

        button:active {
            transform: scale(0.94);
            background: #0f1720;
        }

        .pause-play {
            background: #16a085;
            width: auto;
            padding: 0 1.4rem;
            font-size: 1.1rem;
            gap: 0.4rem;
            font-weight: 600;
        }

        .pause-play span {
            font-size: 1.3rem;
        }

        .indicators {
            display: flex;
            gap: 0.5rem;
            justify-content: center;
            margin-top: 1.2rem;
        }

        .dot {
            width: 8px;
            height: 8px;
            background: #2c3e50;
            border-radius: 20px;
            transition: 0.2s;
            opacity: 0.4;
            display: none;
        }

        .dot.active {
            width: 28px;
            background: #e67e22;
            opacity: 1;
        }

        /* Responsive slide widths: Desktop 5 cards, Tablet 3, Mobile 1 */
        /* we dynamically set via JS but fallback css vars */
        .carousel-slide {
            width: calc(100% / 3);  /* default desktop fallback, will be overridden by JS but for initial layout */
        }

        @media (max-width: 1024px) {
            .carousel-slide {
                width: calc(100% / 2);
            }
        }

        @media (max-width: 640px) {
            .carousel-slide {
                width: calc(100% / 1);
            }
        }

        /* to avoid layout shift we ensure smoothness */
        .carousel-viewport {
            touch-action: pan-y pinch-zoom; /* allow vertical scroll but horizontal drag captured by js */
        }

        /* accessibility & focus */
        button:focus-visible {
            outline: 3px solid #f39c12;
        }