Day after day, I waited for him to come but he never showed up. He had gone to America for 2 months. After a moth and a half there were phone calls everyday and postcards were send to me week after week. After May 21, there was no more postcards that ended in Be back soon! Love you forever Raj. I didn't hear his soft, kind and truthful voice saying "I miss you. I think about you every second of the day. I write your name on sheets of paper. I miss you and I love you a lot." After May 21st, I felt lonely and sick. I had horrible dreams, Raj had gone to America to fight in a war. He had taken karate when he was a young boy and he was also the Major of his army. He had to make all the decisions and it was though he told me. On May 20th, with fear in his voice he told me " You will marry someone us if I never come back. Can you make me this promise?" I was very scared when he had said that. I felt that my nightmares had entered the real world. I said in panic " I promise" and I hung up. With tears streaming down my chubby cheeks, I ran up the stairs and started to cry. I lied on my bed and and thought aboout what Raj and I did together. I remember when I was three, he was about four and half. He used to take my stroller, while I was in it, and run it through the park. The wind was blowing through my face and I saw leaves blow in front of us. At the age of 18, I thought I had fallen in love. There was a new kid in our class. Rahul, he was cute kind and friendly. Raj thought he was TOO friendly. The best feature I liked about him was his cute little dimples and his laughs. When he smiled, these little cute dimples would appear. And when he laughed, it was as if the whole world had stop just to see he cute little dimples and a friendly little laugh. Mr. Kapoor, our science teacher, was pairing us up into partners to start a lab. " Ishaika, you will be partnered up with Rahul." Like my heart, I had felt that the whole world had stopped. He smiled and his cute little dimples showed. I turned to Raj, he didn't seem so happy. So when Mr. Kapoor announced his partner I felt a little jealously. " Raj, you will be partnered up with Priya." Priya was one of those girls who was trying to get rid of her Indian heritage. She tried to dress American and be an American. She wore high heels and ultra short skirts and shorts. Raj had had a little small crush on her when we were in kindergarden, before she had turned into an American. Raj looked at me with his big, rounded eyes and I rolled my almond shaped eyes at him. Then Rahul introduced himslef. " Hi, I'm Rahul Khanna. I'm from Sri Lanka." Then, he smiled and his dimples were exposed again. I felt like I was going to die. Then I saw Priya talking to Raj, and my eyes had fire in them. She was pushing her chair closer and closer to him until he hit the wall. He took a glance at me, and Rahul was like staring at me, So out of nowhere, Raj kisses Priya. My head starts to go on fire! All of a sudden I yell "RAJ!" And I run out of the classroom. I run to my locker and try opening it but with all the tears running down my cheeks, I couldn't see clearly. Then, I feel a hand on my shoulder and thinking its Raj I say " go away." But the hand takes me and pulls me into his arms. His arms are very muscular so I know it can't be Raj. I look up and see its Rahul. He has his eyes closed and trying to hush me down. I hug him tighter. Then I see Raj. Raj had the same face that I had made when I saw Raj kiss Priya. He walks back to the classroom with his hands made into fists. Rahul takes his hands and wipes my tears away and shakes his head meaning " don't cry." Then all of a sudden I just hug him so tight that I felt he was going to die. He looked in my eyes and saw scared and hurt big eyes and I looked in his eyes and saw big caring eyes. He took his arm, put it around my shoulder, and hugged me into his side. When I got home, I found that Raj was sleeping over. This was a routine, every other day he usually stayed over for dinner and then slept over. His parents are both doctors so he lives in a huge house. But they have no servant or babysitter because my mother is usually home from work when we get home from school. Today, he had stayed for dinner. We usually had a food fight but not today. We were both VERY mad at each other but we couldn't act like that when my parents were around. They would have been "what happened?" and they would be very nervous about it. So when we went upstairs into my room, we started our homework without saying a word to each other. Then, the phone rang, my mom had picked up and yelled "ISHIKA PHONE FOR YOU!" I asked her who it was and she had replied "Rahul." I froze. Then I took the phone and ran up into my room forgetting Raj had been there. "Hi Rahul." I said in a hyper voice. He replied "I just called if you were ok"

" Yah I'm ok, I guess thanks for your support"

"Anytime. Anytime you need help, I'm just a phone call away." My heart just sank down. I fell back on my bed.

" I gotta go, mom's calling me"

" k. See ya tommrow bye" I replied I hung up and sighed loud.

" Whose phone was it?" asked Raj curiously

I sighed and answered "Rahul's"

Raj stood up and was all in my face, saying stuff about Rahul.

"I really don't know what you see in him" Raj said with an angry voice and you can feel the jealous in him.

"Well, hes caring and kind anf friendly."

" He's a little TOO friendly"

" Well, he's better than Priya Sawant" I said as if we were going to have a big fight.

" Well, I had to kiss her. She was on top of me and then I saw you guys. And you how I had a BIG crush on her when I was about five. I'm really sorry"

" Its ok and I walk and turn toward the window." I look out and I see many stars up. Then I look down and I was in shock. There was Rahul sitting right outside of my house holding a box of choclate and roses. "Tu he tu hai meri jaan." Then he looks up and stops singing. I feel something on my waist. I look around and I see Raj hugging me. Then I turn around and Rahul is gone. "RAJ!" I yell like I yelled at him in class.

"What did I do wrong" says Raj very innocently

" You know I like Rahul and I know you saw him there so why did you hug me."

" You know me, that's my way of saying sorry"

"I no but still Raj."

Raj is the best friend I'll ever have but sometimes I think him of him more than a friend. He's the only guy friend I have. But sometimes I feel like he's my big brother. I go to him when I have a problem.

The next day, I went to school and I stopped at my locker. I saw it covered in red wrapping paper, red balloons, and little red papers that read " I Love You." I did my combo and I saw this teddy bear. It was the cutest teddy bear. It was holding a heart that said I love you. I looked around and I saw Rahul with is arms crossed and his little cute dimples showing. I ran up to him and hugged him. " I love you Ishika." He replied. I hugged him and said the same thing back to him. Raj and me share the same locker. So when Raj came to his locker, he had to go talk to the teacher, he thought the decorative locker was for him. He saw Priya walking back and forth with her vocabulary acting very nervously repeating "rue-regret, personable-caring personality." Raj runs up to her and interrupts her voacb.

"Priya, did u decorate my locker like that?" she looks over and sees it says I love you all over it.

"Yes. Raj I really love you. I cant live without you" she takes him and pulls him forward and hugs him tightly. He sees me standing next to Rahul with his arm on my shoulder. Raj pushes Priya out of his arms. " Get away from me you filthy American wannabee liar."

"Raj, I thought that kiss. I thought me and you had something special."

" The kiss was out of anger. I only hate you." Raj said and Priya ran to the girls' bathroom and started to cry.

" Raj, are you feeling ok." I ask him

"Yah I'm fine. Sorry." He said and hugged me again

That always makes him and me better.

I turn to Rahul. He seems a little disturb from Raj hugging me. He starts walking away. I let Raj go and run after Rahul.

"Rahul, wait up. Raj and I are only really good friends. Raj only hugs me to tell me he's really sorry and it makes him feel better."

"Oh. Says Rahul." He seems really sad and sick.

"Are you ok?" I ask Rahul

"Not really. And he walks away like he's walking out of my life. Walking out of the world. I chase after him.

"Rahul! Can you tell me what happened?" he stops. I put my arms around him and hug him. He turns around and stares into my eyes and I stare into his. I can see fear.

"Why are you so scared?"

" I feel like I'm coming between you guys."

You guys. Who are you guys? I thought

"I mean you and Raj" he says like he knows everything

" Me and Raj are best friends. And that's all we'll ever be."

" I know there's love behind this friendship."

"Rahul! I love you and only you." and I hug him

"I really love you too Ishika but…"

"But what! I love you and you love me!" and I hug him tighter

I could hear him saying "I love you ishika" over again with a weepy voice. All of sudden he stopped. He had seen Raj.

" Rahul, do you really love Ishika"

"Raj, I'm sorry if I came in your way"

"Rahul just answer my question, do you Ishika"

"YES! I LOVE ISHIKA VERY MUCH! I will die without here" I covered his mouth and nodded. He hugged me and I started crying. I saw Raj, he was smiling, and he mouthed "I'll talk to you later." Rahul kissed me on my forehead, took me by my shoulder, and we walked to the park. I came home that night around 9 in the night. "Where were you this whole time" my mom asked. "Raj is upstairs waiting for you seen 5. He told me you guys have a science test tomorrow and you were going to study together. "I'm sorry" I said respectfully and I went upstairs and shut the door.

"So, what happened between you and Rahul" Raj asked.

" Well, we just walked to the park and then he drove me to the famous ice cream shop and we shared a milkshake." And then he took me to a place where you can see the sunset perfectly. Then he drove me back home."

"WOW! A sunset. How romantic!" he was being sarcastic apparently. Years past and Rahul and had gotten closer and closer.

My 20th birthday was coming up and Rahul had surprised me. For every birthday he had missed, he gave me a present! 20 PRESENTS! The 20th present was the most amazing. Sitting on one knee," Ishika, I knew you were perfect for me the first day I saw you. You were the spark of my life. I really love you Ishika. Will you marry me?" I was in a state of shock.

I didn't know what to say. "Rahul, I'll see you tommrow" and I ran to my house. I opened the door and ran upstairs and surprisingly Raj was there. "Raj" I said "I need your help"

"Let me guess, Rahul proposed to you and you don't know what to tell him, Am I right?"

"How did you know?"

"I'm a genius Ishika a genius I tell ya!"

"Yah right" I say quietly

"Do you want my help or no"

"ok ok fine. You're the smartest genius I've ever met" and I rolled my eyes.

"Thank you. Say yes!"

"Wow! I could have thought of that on my own Raj. Thanks for your help!"

"No, I mean say it romantically. Here lets try it"

"Hey Ishika baby."

"RAJ! Be serious yaar!"

"Ok fine" and he coughed to clear his breath

"Ishika, do you love me?"

"Rahul, I will die without you!"

"Ishika, you're the one who told ME to be serious and look at you!"

"Ok sorry" I was cracking up

"Rahul, about yesterday. I've thought about that and my answer is yes! I hope I get that all out tomorrow to him. What do you think Raj? I will I get it out?"

"Raj?" I turn around and he's sleeping on my bed. He looked so cute with mushroom haircut and he was crawled up in a ball. He looked like he was ten. I let him sleep on the bed. I slept on the floor.

Next morning, Raj stepped on me not realizing I was there.

"ow!" I said painful

"Sorry" said Raj and his arm went forward to help me up, I reached up to grab it, and he pulled back and put his hand in his hair.

"RAJ! First you step on me and now your not helping me up! HOW RUDE!"

"Ok ok here." He put his hand out and I took it and he helped me up. He took and he tugged me in. "Hey Ishika, its Rahul." Raj said then he turned around and he had is arms across my waist. "What do you say meri ishq, about the proposal I made do you yesterday. Yes or No?"

"Never! Never you Rahul!"

"Ishika! What is all this rubbish!"

" I'm just kidding! Of course Rahul. I will marry you!"

"That's more like it meri jaan"

We both started cracking. I heard a honk from downstairs. It was Rahul!

"Hey Ishika, Do you want a lift to the collage?" Rahul asked nervously.

I looked over at Raj. He was mouthing "GO!" but I knew he wanted to come. "Uh…..Rahul, can Raj come with us?"

"Sure….why not" Rahul said fearfully.

"Ok then we'll be right down", I blew him a kiss, and he caught it and put it near his heart. I closed the window and Raj just stared at me.

"Why did you invite me?" Raj said curiously.

" Cause I knew you were dying to come." I said cheerfully and quickly

" Lets go before he leaves!" I said in a rush.

"Hi mom bye mom" I said rapidly

" Where are you guys going in a rush?"

" Oh! Yea Raj's friend is picking us up to drop us to the collage. He's waiting outside."

"Raj, who's your friend?"

" Rahul" I said tugging Raj.

"But then why did he want to talk to you Ishika?" my mom said curiously

By the end of the sentence, I slammed the door shut. I got in the front seat and Raj was in the back.

"Cool car" said Raj jealously.

"Oh thanks" Rahul said

I put my hand on my armrest and Rahul put his hand on my hand.

"Rahul" I said fearfully "I have the answer to your question." And the car went to a full stop.

"My answer is yes" I said and he gave me a huge kiss on the cheek then hugged me.

" Can we go! Were getting late" Raj said anxiously

A year later we were about to get married. I wore a light blue sari, which is an Indian dress. I had my hair braided in the front and it was curly in the back.

"Wow!" Said Raj

"RAJ! Your not supposed to be in here"

"But I am your best friend so I gotta be" Raj said with a smile

"ISHIKA! Your groom is here." You could tell because in every Indian wedding, there are dokhlas or drums, which people play, and it's a big noise. Then, the groom comes sitting on a elephant. I ran outside quickly and on the elephant there was no one. No Rahul with his cute little dimples showing. Then, my eyes rolled back and I had collapsed.

There I was laying down on a hospital bed in a blue sari. Raj was sitting next to me.

"Raj, what happened" I asked, trying to get up but Raj put me down and put his finger to his lips.

"Rahul never showed up to the wedding." Raj said sadly.

I was crying a lot. I felt like I could create a lake with all my tears. Raj held my hand tight and nodded. I had to get up and give him a big hug.

"I'll always be here for you Ishika, as a friend or even more than a friend." Raj said kindly and sweetly.

"Thanks Raj." I hugged him tighter. I took me out of his arms. " You should rest" He gave me a kiss on the forehead. I grabbed his arm and pulled him in. "Thanks again Raj." And he left the room. I thought about all the moments he had been here for me.

2 days after that, I returned home. No one came to the hospital to pick me up. I knew something was wrong. I rode an auto rickshaw home. When I rang the doorbell, Raj's mom opened it. She was wearing all white. When someone wears all white, which meant someone died. I looked around and I saw everyone was wearing white. Then I saw my mom's picture with a mala, which is a necklace with flowers. I felt like the whole world had stopped. I started falling back but Raj caught me. He grabbed my waist, put his arm on my shoulder, and took me into my room. While I was walking up the stairs I hugged him by the side. When we reached my room, he put me on my bed and left.

"Raj, can you stay with me for a little while" I said with a worried voice

"Sure" and he sat next to me on the bed. I put my head on his lap. He started stroking my hair

"Raj, why do bad things always happen to me?" I ask him in a sad tone.

"Ishika, some things happen for the better." Raj said quietly. After 30 minutes of lying there, I fell asleep on his lap. Raj tried to move my head off his lap but I woke up.

"Raj please never leave me" I said in a tired voice.

"I promise I won't. I'm right here next to you every step of the way." Raj said adequately and he moved right next to me. That night I had the worst nightmare. I had saw Rahul and he had gotten into a car accident and it was a very bad accident. I woke up with a scream. Raj was right next to me.

"What happened" Raj asked

"I saw Rahul and his face was covered in blood and and…" I was shaking. After Raj had turned on the lights, he took me into his arms. Everyone had come into my room. Everyone had stayed in my house for about a month. They saw me in Raj's arms and asked if I was all right. I was crying loudly. Raj had put his hand out and mouthed "main hoon na" which means I'm here now. Everyone left.

"I don't know what I would do without you Raj. You've always been here when I was in the hardest times. You've took care of me. Yoou're the best" I sobbed.

"I no Ishika. I'm the best genius in the whole wide world." He said to try making me happy and laugh.

Next day, Raj's mother drove us to school. Rahul nor Priya had not been in class. The last day I saw Rahul was the day before our wedding. I had saw him in dreams which had turned into nightmares for me every night.

One day, Raj and me were walking through the beach. The water was green and blue. It looked so beautiful. I stopped to look it for a while. Raj wrapped his arms around me.

"Ishika, I've wanted to tell you something for days now. I just don't know how to say it." Raj said shyly. He was usually opened to me. I helped him figure stuff out and he did the same thing to me. I don't know what happened.

"Ishika, I love you very much." he said finally

"Raj, I love you too." I said that very easily and smoothly.

Raj got on one knee just as Rahul had did but he was more romantic about it.

"Ishika Joshi, Will you marry me?" and he opened a red box that had my birthstone on it.

"Raj, Yes I will marry you." and he gave me a big hug.

Less then a month our marriage was set.

END OF PART 1