Title: Unsaid Goodbyes
Aastha tightened the strap of her handbag as she stepped out of the glass office building. The evening sun cast golden streaks over the bustling streets of Gurgaon. It had been six months since she joined this digital marketing agency — far away from the tender memories of college, lost in a new world. The city’s constant rush often made her feel like a small fish in an endless ocean.
A faint vibration from her phone pulled her attention. A message flashed on the WhatsApp group — "St. Maria Girls School Batch 2015" — now just a collection of birthday wishes and silence.
Priyanka: Is anyone still alive in Gurgaon?
Aastha's fingers froze. Priyanka... the girl who used to sit at the back of the library. The one who could settle the biggest fights with a smile. Years had passed without a single conversation.
A soft smile crossed Aastha's lips. After a moment of hesitation, she typed —
Aastha: Yes... still alive.
Within seconds, the reply came —
Priyanka: Coffee? Tomorrow evening?
Without thinking much, Aastha replied — "Okay."

The next evening, they met at a small café tucked away from the city's chaos. Priyanka looked different — short hair, subtle kajal, and the same confident smile. But her eyes... they were the same — deep, calm, seeing everything.
"So... what are you up to these days?" Priyanka asked, stirring her coffee.
"Writing... for people, for companies." Aastha smiled faintly.
Priyanka nodded, as if she'd always known Aastha would become a writer.
The conversation started light — old teachers, silly pranks, forgotten friendships. Then, suddenly, a buried memory surfaced in Aastha's mind.
St. Maria Girls School, 9th Grade.
During lunch break, a group of boys had cornered Aastha, mocking her over a small joke. Her hands had trembled, tears threatening to spill... until Priyanka stepped in.
"If you're so brave, talk to her alone. Don't act like a lion in a pack." Priyanka's voice had echoed. The boys had backed off. From that day, Priyanka became an invisible shield around Aastha.
"You helped me that day... remember?" Aastha suddenly asked.
Priyanka gave a small smile, lowering her head.
"You thought I'd forget?"
A long silence settled between them. Old walls crumbled. Years of distance disappeared in a single moment.

Days turned into weeks. Between coffee cups, their conversations grew longer. Late-night chats, shared playlists, and countless silent pauses... the city slowly began to feel a little warmer.
One night, sitting on the terrace of Priyanka's rented apartment, both wrapped in oversized sweaters, they gazed at the city lights shimmering like distant dreams.
"Do you ever feel... lost?" Aastha whispered.
Priyanka's eyes flickered. "Every day. But we hide it well, don't we? Behind jobs, deadlines, and coffee cups."
Aastha nodded, her throat tight. It was the kind of honesty that only old friends could share — the vulnerability that didn't need explanations.
"I always thought you'd become a poet," Priyanka murmured.
"Maybe I still am... just writing for others now."
Priyanka smiled, opening a small leather-bound diary from her bag.
"I wrote something... for you."
A few lines —
"Some people never change,
They just become more beautiful with time.
Silent shadows in our lives,
Waiting to be seen again."
Aastha's eyes welled up.
"How did you know?"
Priyanka's smile was soft, almost sad. "I've always seen you... in school too. When you sat by the library window, writing in your diary. When you sat alone during breaks. People think we only notice those close to us... but some bonds feel us from a distance too."
That night stood still. No promises were made, no confessions exchanged. Just two souls, slowly understanding each other once again.

Weeks passed. They found a rhythm — random texts, midnight phone calls, long walks along the empty roads of Gurgaon. They spoke about everything — failed relationships, dreams left behind, fears they never shared with anyone else.
One evening, Aastha's mother called.
"Beta, why don't you try meeting some boys? You're 27 now... everyone is settling down."
Aastha forced a laugh. "Maybe some bonds aren't meant to settle, Maa."
But that night, as she stared at the ceiling, Priyanka's smile flickered in her mind. Wasn't it strange how some connections slipped into your life quietly... but ended up making the deepest noise?

Priyanka's transfer letter arrived on a rainy afternoon. London. A new beginning. Aastha knew it was coming — she'd seen the emails, heard the casual mentions. But now, sitting across from Priyanka in their little café, it felt like a breaking wave.
"This might be our last meeting," Priyanka said softly.
Aastha swallowed hard, blinking back the sting in her eyes.
"Sometimes... some people are only meant to meet us — not walk alongside us, just to live in our memories."
Priyanka's eyes softened, soaking in every word.
On their final evening together, they walked the quiet streets of Gurgaon one last time. Under flickering streetlights, Aastha suddenly stopped.
"Will you ever come back?"
Priyanka looked at the sky for a long moment.
"Maybe not in person... but I'll always be somewhere in the echoes."
Aastha's throat tightened, holding back words she could never say.
The next day, Priyanka left. The city returned to its relentless pace. Aastha's phone still carried her playlist. A few pages from her diary remained — silent imprints of what once was.
Months passed. The WhatsApp messages grew fewer. Life wrapped them in different stories.
Yet, some nights — in the stillness between deadlines and lonely cups of coffee — Aastha would open Priyanka's diary pages and whisper those lines to herself.
"Some people never change,
They just become more beautiful with time."
In the crowded streets of Gurgaon, one story remained unfinished — Unsaid Goodbyes.

BY VINOD