1 | Say You Love Me

29: Saying Goodbye

3rd - London

Rhea and Raj got out of the car, Simran and Jay following behind them. All four went to the trunk.

"I'm gonna miss you, man." Jay says as they take out the luggage. "After being roommates since college. 5 years, man. It's gonna be wierd with you gone."

"Whoa, don't get all sentimental on me, Dingra." Raj joked, earning a glare from his friend. "I will come back to visit you and Simran." Raj gives Jay a fist pound, and calls to Rhea, "Are you ready?"

"Yeah, just give me a second." Rhea looks at Raj, then at Simran.

"Now I am gonna be stuck with Jay all the time! Who am I gonna have to go shopping with?" Simran joked, making Rhea laugh.

"Well, Jay has pretty good taste," Rhea tells her.

"Yeah....in underwear." They both laugh, making the boys look at them.

"C'mon Rhea, we have a plane to catch." Raj walks over to her and gives her a side hug as a tear falls down Rhea's cheek.

Raj wipes the tear away, "Don't cry. We will see them again."

"Promise?" Rhea asks, hoping for the best.

"Yes, I promise." He says.

They all hug each other goodbye, and then go their seperate ways. Jay and Simran waved good bye, not wanting to see their best friends leave.

Raj and Rhea held each other close as they walked through the airport.

"Flight 89 will be boarding in 34 minutes." Raj said as they passed through the security check.

"I wish we didn't have to go, not now anyways." Rhea says as they make their way to terminal C.

"Take a left," Raj points over and they both walk in the direction. Rhea takes out her camera and takes a picture of things with London stuff.

"Rhea what are you doing?" Raj walks towards her as she heads into the gift shop.

"Taking memories." She says, walking back to Raj.

"C'mon," he holds her hand and leads her to the terminal.

They both gave their ticket and took their seats on the plane.

"Let me sit next to the window." Raj spoke in joy. Rhea giggled as she said, "fine."

Both sat down, hand in hand, as the plane began to take off. Soon, the night sky engulfed the streets, but let the city ights show.

"We're going home." Raj says. "I can't wait to marry you." He whispered in a sleeping Rhea's ear

Sonia [3rd Pov]

Tomorrow is the funeral.

She looked stood out in her balcony, hoping her father would come through the door with two hot chocolate cups and then talk the night away like they did when she was little.

But she knew deep in her heart that wasn't going to happen. She knew she had to let go of him, to let him be free like he always was.

Walking over to her bed, she turned off her light.

Tomorrow will be the day I will say good bye to father, but to say hello the new life I will make with Raj, she thought.

She looked over at her nightstand and saw the picture of her father and her on her sixteenth birthday.

Taking it off the night stand, she held it close, and fell asleep with the picture in her arms.

3rd POV

The sky mourned the loss of a good man who cared for his family and friends.

His only daughter was the one who competed against the rain as her tears went unseen by her companions. Even those she was surrounded by people she considered family, she felt alone as she looked at her father's body - her last memory of him was frozen in this moment. She parted herself from her mother and laid her head on her father's chest, singing the song Meri Jaan once last time.

Unfortunately, Rhea sat beside her one true love as they headed towards their hope in Shilma. Raj shook from the excitement of hits and Rhea's engagement, but the guilt they felt for Sonia never faltered. They hoped she would understand, but when they got word that Sonia's father was severely ill, they wondered of now wasd the right time to say anything.

Rhea fell sleep on Raj's shoulder while he caressed his mother's bracelet on her wrist. Both of them knew their parents would be happy for them - especially Rhea's family because they've been urging her to marry someone, and she finally got the one man she wanted to marry but the price of their love could be costly.

When they arrived, any ounce of hope was drowned away by the rain. They saw their dearest friend crying over her father's body while their parents comforted each other. The backyard - once a beautiful scenery - became a dull place for the dead.

As if she sensed them, Sonia stood straight and turned around to see her best friend and her love standing at the end of the walkway. She ran, as if her life was about to end, to Raj and wrapped her arms around him before releasing her tears. She apologized profusely for ignoring all of his calls and messages before looking at him and saying "I love you, Raj. Please don't leave me again."

Thunder crashed in the sky as Raj and Rhea glanced at one another. For her, it was deja vu because someone she loved ran past her into the arms of another, but she hated seeing it that way. She began to walk away while Sonia cried on his shoulder. Slowly, she placed her hand on Sonia's head before hugging her.

Raj felt something being pressed against his hands as Rhea walked away from them. He looked and saw his fingers hold Rhea's bracelets. He looked at her wrist, which were now bare. He wanted to call out to her, but Sonia's storm made it impossible to say or hear anything.

Rhea cried as she walked to her parents. "I can't believe he's gone," her mother whispers while hugging Rhea; her eyes remain connected with Raj because not only did a loved one pass away, but their feelings were to be buried.

Part 2 Coming soon.