awkward

They could hardly look into each others eyes. They were not sure how to greet, say hello or shake hands or smile and raise eyebrows or hug each other. Time and distance, not merely the physical ones, does funny things to memory. You think a person would like something, or dislike something else, based on your memory, but the person's preferences have changed! Why should they not, everything, almost everything does.
Why can't this memory change?

Well, she smiled, he could not hear what she said before or after, he could only smile back. No civilities exchanged, no 'whats up', 'how r you doing', no 'how r things at ur end'. There was a kind of silence, an inappropriateness of situation or setting, loss not merely words but something else.
There were other people as well, it was a reunion both were not sure about. Not sure whether the other would come, not sure whether they themselves would like to come or whether they would like the other to come. But they did.

Man tends to become somewhat superficial with a certain age (needless to say it is the age in between) and notices the temporary things more keenly. Phrases such as 'You have lost/put on weight' 'What have you done to your skin' 'Nice hair cut' etc. are not uncommon as the first reactions when people meet, women can add many more to that 'clothes, jewelery, etc. etc.
He did notice some of such things, of course he would not share them with her or the group. What did she notice and what were the changes, he thought.They talked for some time, traffic,transport,weather,work, weekends are easy things to talk about you see. The harder questions need not be discussed, there are no easy answers and one may not share them in public. Both of them stayed away from any such veering towards such difficult questions.
This was not natural, he could sense milk in some pot simmering and about to spill out. Some hopeless waves crashing on either sides of iron walls of the large ship cutting the ocean separate. Women are usually good at this (managing emotions) and she was very good. A sip of beer, a puff or coffee usually help at such times. The funny thing is that you tend to think no one else, especially the people who are around you, understand or notice. After all nothing has happened right. But, I guess all of them do notice something happening or not happening. It continued for sometime and then they spoke a few words to each other. Neither of them were interested in the answers. This not what they normally do, never to each other. It was as if they had locked their own true selves in their rooms and come here. They were left alone.
They were supposed to go together in one direction (ironic to say the least).

Nothing changed. Not even when they were alone. Oh wait, they were not, there were their egos and history to give them company.
'See you' was said without any meaning or hope. On his way back, he was thinking of many things, humming a tune and then the word came to his head and he smiled and shut up. 'Awkward'