Dear Arjun

Chapter 7: Say goodbye

Seher's POV

"Yeah. Yeah, I know you are sulking because I'm leaving tomorrow" I said over the phone call while holding the phone between my ear and shoulder as I grabbed my wallet from my handbag and paid for the groceries that I just bought for tonight's dinner and quickly moved aside as there was a long queue of people behind me.

As someone once said that all good things must come to an end someday, so, so has this journey of mine...leaving my own home...my own country and moving abroad, in a foreign country, with no friends, nobody that I knew personally and that too at such a young age.

Giving my one hundred percent to my dreams and finally earning a degree in something that I'm extremely passionate about...Psychiatry.

Then once again leaving every friend, every person that I knew, even the place that I called my home for four long years, basically what I mean is that I once again left my comfort zone behind, back in Boston and moved here, to San Francisco, to complete my internship...learned new things, made new friends, whom I'll never forget.

I left my country, my home as an eighteen year old...as a mere teenager, who knew nothing about life but now I'm leaving this foreign country, which has given so much to me and which by the way is no longer foreign to me...it's like a second home, as a twenty two year old...as Dr. Seher Rajput.

I let out a heavy sigh, what an amazing journey it has been, but as amazing as it has been, it must come to an end and tomorrow, when I board my flight to India, it will.

I'll never forget my time here, the amazing friends that I have made here and even though I'm leaving with a heavy heart, but looking at the brighter side I'm happy to return back to my family, my home, my country, after five long years.

I'll be turning twenty three soon and I'll surely miss my friends while celebrating it but what makes me happy is the fact that I'll be celebrating my twenty third birthday with my family this time.

"Yeah right, you wish" He replied sarcastically from the other end, snapping me out of my thoughts as I walked out of the grocery store with my groceries and hailed a cab.

I couldn't help but chuckle as I imagined him rolling his eyes while uttering that white lie.

"Oh come on, Nath, just get over yourself and admit it that you are gonna miss me..." I paused while giving the driver directions to my apartment. 

"Terribly, if I might add" I continued, smiling.

"Well...you know that and you are still leaving, now what could be more upsetting than that" Nathan replied in a bitter voice.

"Nathan, you always knew that I have to leave one day, so now where's all this coming from?" I asked shaking my head slightly while looking out of the window, staring at the familiar streets of San Francisco.

"You have been a great friend, Nathan, ever since we became friends almost a year back, and now I need you to wish me luck...wish me the best in life and let me go..." I paused with a sigh.

"Just be the same great friend that you have always been and say goodbye, Nath" I continued. 

"And it doesn't even have to be a goodbye, we'll always be in touch through phone calls and video calls, trust me" I added, perfectly knowing that whatever I'm saying must be hurting him because what he feels for me is more than what one feels for a friend.

"It's hard to believe you on that, Seher, because that's the same old, rugged promise that people make but at the end they just drift apart" He replied. 

"Nathan..." I mumbled with a sigh, not knowing what else to say.

"Don't worry, Seher, I'm not gonna put you in a tough situation by bringing the topic up that you keep avoiding...now I'm never gonna tell you how I love you...and nor am I ever gonna ask you to return those feelings" He said after a moment of silence.