The Unsaid Thank You

On the last Thursday of the year, Ayaan stayed back in the office longer than planned. Most desks were already empty, chairs pushed in, screens dark. The notebook in his bag felt heavier than usual, though it carried nothing new.

He opened it at his desk, not to plan the next year, but to clear space. Receipts fell out, half written to do lists, meeting notes that no longer mattered. As he flipped through the pages, one name appeared again and again. Neha. In margins, beside tasks, sometimes circled, sometimes underlined.

Neha had never been part of his team. She sat two rows behind him. She reminded him about deadlines when he forgot, covered meetings when he was stuck elsewhere, and once, during a particularly rough month, left a cup of coffee on his desk without saying a word.

Ayaan realised something uncomfortable. He had never thanked her. Not properly. There was always another meeting, another message, another day.

The office was unusually quiet now. Cleaning staff moved softly in the distance. He tore the last blank page from his notebook, hesitated, then wrote a short note. Nothing polished. Just a few honest lines.

He walked to Neha’s desk and placed the note under her keyboard. It felt awkward, almost childish. He wondered if it was unnecessary. Or late.

The next morning, Neha stopped by his desk. She smiled, held up the folded page, and said, “This made my year feel complete.”

Ayaan watched her walk away, surprised by how light he felt. The notebook in his bag finally felt empty.

Some things are not meant to be carried into the next year.

Flash: As years close, many moments remain unfinished. Not tasks, but words we assumed were understood. Sometimes, closure comes from the simplest act.

Moral: Gratitude does not need perfect timing. When expressed honestly, it always finds meaning.

The words we delay often matter the most!!