In the Silence, We Spoke

The ice cream shop was unusually crowded that Sunday afternoon. Arnav stood near the counter, scanning the menu, slightly annoyed to find that his favorite flavor—Mango Crunch—was sold out.

Arnav (to himself):
"Every time. Just when I finally crave something… gone."

He ordered ice creams for his family and waited. The shop was bustling with children, families, and couples. In the noise, he didn’t notice a small girl standing nearby, holding something in her hand.

Little Girl: "Uncle, I think you wanted this."
She smiled and handed him a Mango Crunch cone—the last one.

Surprised, Arnav looked down at her. Before he could ask anything, the little girl ran back to her mother.

When his eyes finally followed her… he froze.

Standing there was Meera.

His old college friend.
His ex-girlfriend.
Someone who once knew him better than he knew himself.

Their eyes met—no words, no waves, just a quiet exchange that only two people with a shared past could understand.

Meera’s soft smile carried both familiarity and distance.
Arnav smiled back, just slightly, as if to say: "I didn’t expect this, but I’m glad."

The little girl tugged at Meera’s hand.
"Mama, can I have the strawberry one next time?"

Meera gently nodded and looked back at Arnav.
Their lives had moved on. Their stories had moved on.
But something… had stayed.


🌿 Flashback: The First Mango Crunch

(Several years ago)

Arnav and Meera used to sneak out after long college lectures just to eat Mango Crunch ice cream from this very shop.
It wasn’t even the best flavor—both knew that. But it became their flavor.

One day, sitting on the park bench, Arnav had asked:
"Why do you always pick Mango Crunch when there are better options?"

Meera, teasing him, said:
"Sometimes… it’s not about the taste. Sometimes we choose things because they remind us of moments we want to live again."

That line stayed with Arnav.

After college, life had separated them—family expectations, responsibilities, time—all the usual reasons.

But Mango Crunch… always remained his go-to.
Maybe he had never stopped choosing it, for the very same reason.



🌙 Present Moment: A Quiet Goodbye

Arnav picked up the Mango Crunch cone, nodded gently toward Meera, and walked back to his family.
No dramatic endings. No sudden confessions.
Just a soft, respectful goodbye with grateful hearts.

His mother asked casually, "You still like Mango Crunch, don’t you? You never seem to get tired of it."

Arnav smiled, glancing once more at Meera as she left with her daughter.

"Sometimes we don’t like something because it’s truly our favorite.
Sometimes… we choose it simply to relive a moment we once loved."


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🎀 The End