With a tinge of reality always underlining hope here, nobody in Jammu and Kashmir really expected anything earthshaking from the visit by Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to New Delhi, but the despondency persists anyway.
Many Kashmiris believe that the just concluded two-day visit by Aziz once again underscores how the two countries are unable to climb down from their traditional stands on Kashmir.
There were high hopes that people living on either side of the border might be able to interact with each other with much easier travel restrictions. Now, many residents say that Aziz's visit has again proved the grim reality that there is no flexibility in the attitudes of the two governments with regard to their stated, traditional positions on Kashmir.
"Prime Minister Aziz has said that progress in India-Pakistan relations in other fields must take place in tandem with the forward movement on the Kashmir issue. What does this indicate? Aren't we back to square one?" asked Shujaat Rasool, 43, a teacher of political science here.
The view here is that despite the absence of rhetorical fireworks by India and Pakistan on Kashmir this time, the two countries are still fixated on their stand with regard to the Valley.
"Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has dismissed the possibility of another division of Kashmir on religious lines. He has also dismissed any negotiations on the geographical borders of India or the country's integrity.
"That is clearly the half-century- old Indian stand on Kashmir. Where is the change?" said Javaid Jalib, 48, an entrepreneur.
However, despite the general discontent, locals are happy with the fact that the opening of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road is a firm reality now.
"We have ordered permanent hoardings to replace the temporary ones that indicated distances from various places in the Valley to Muzaffarabad. It is going to be a dream come true," said a senior leader of the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) here.
The PDP had promised in its election manifesto of 2002 that "the party would work for converting Kashmir, which had been a historic eyesore between India and Pakistan, into a new bridge between the two countries".
With both the countries giving a go ahead to the technical level talks on the opening of the road next month, expectations are high that the road would be functional by next spring.
"Kashmir is a very complex issue. Even if the two countries finally manage to open up the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road, it would be a great achievement," said Abdul Samad, 59.
Clearly, even as the ruling PDP sees a clear light at the end of the dark tunnel in the probable opening of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road, many Kashmiris still believe the future is back to the past in India- Pakistan relations.