It was almost an hour since Shikha had entered the cards shop looking for that elusive card to give to Ajay which would express all that she felt for him. It would be the first card she was giving him and it had to be special. There were hundreds of cards but she had found not one that matched her expectations. Then it appeared as if by magic - just the things she wanted to convey, in just the right amount of words.

As she turned to leave with the card, she saw a young man reach for the same card. She had been so immersed in her search that she hadn't even noticed that there was somebody else in that section. Glancing cursorily at his face, she froze - it was Sailesh. He saw her almost at the same instant. They must have kept staring for a few seconds, events two years past rushing by in that moment, before she mumbled, "Hello." Sailesh smiled and said, "Hi." The same smile except that it didn't pull at her heartstrings any more.

It had been two years since she and Sailesh "split." They had been in the same class in college, had hung around in the same gang but before the final year, they had become closer to each other. They shared similar interests, liked the same books, the same movies and would frequently meet alone. It was inevitable that they fell in love. They saw dreams of a great future together. Then Sailesh went abroad to do his MBA. Slowly the misunderstandings started and the frustrations that distance brought only worsened the situation. The cracks in their relationship grew until, on Sailesh's first trip to India, they had to acknowledge that they couldn't get together again.

For months, Shikha hadn't been able to face it, ridden by anguish, guilt and regret. How, why and when did they move apart? The question besieged her till she almost went mad, her heart and mind engulfed in turmoil. Gradually, she had found the courage to love and trust again - she had found Ajay. As she faced Sailesh now, she felt no remorse or sorrow. She asked him how he was and what he was doing. Sailesh replied, "I work in Bangalore. Have come home for the weekend." When he asked her how she was, she could say truthfully, "I am fine."

There was nothing more to say. They had moved too far away, from each other and from the past that they had shared. Thankfully, there was no bitterness on either side.

After Shikha paid for her card, she went to collect her helmet and bag. As she passed the billing counter, she saw Sailesh buying the same special card that she had chosen for Ajay. After all, they had liked the same kind of things. And it looked as if Sailesh had found new love too. Shikha walked out of the shop with a light heart.