I Cannot Say Goodbye to You: An unforgettable romance novel by one of India’s most popular writers- Rithvik Singh

by Rithvik Singh

From one of India’s favorite poets comes his first romance novel—a story that will stay with you forever.

What if you were forced to say goodbye to the only person who ever loved you?

When Aashna loses everything and her parents refuse to love her, she is sent to boarding school.

Eventually, she realizes she had left her heart open, and someone decides to break into it—a tall, handsome (a bit too much), straight-out-of-the-movies guy who loves her with his whole heart.

But every time she goes back home, she meets an absence that will not let her sleep and a nightmare of a presence. Painfully tired of the hurt, she becomes what her mother could never a leaver.

With off-the-charts chemistry, witty conversations, and unexpected plot twists, I Cannot Say Goodbye to You is the story of Aashna and the people she loves (and loses).

P.S. Keep a tissue box nearby, since, you know, Rithvik wrote this novel.

Genres: Love

296 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 30, 2025

Reviews

[Sophia Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Cannot Say Goodbye to You by Rithvik Singh is a deeply emotional and heartfelt read that explores love, loss, and the ache of goodbye with sensitivity and grace. The story follows protagonists whose lives become intertwined through shared moments of vulnerability, connection, and longing. Singh’s writing captures the rawness of human emotion — the joy of first love, the pain of separation, and the quiet introspection that follows when words remain unspoken. This novel resonates with anyone who has ever felt the weight of parting with someone dear.

What makes this book especially compelling is how it balances simplicity with emotional depth. Singh’s prose is thoughtful and evocative, allowing readers to feel intimately connected to the characters’ journeys. The narrative isn’t rushed; instead, it unfolds at a reflective pace that invites you into the characters’ inner worlds. Their struggles with fear, hope, and acceptance are portrayed with honesty, making their experiences both personal and universal.

I Cannot Say Goodbye to You is more than a story about love — it’s about understanding the complexity of human relationships and the courage it takes to hold on and let go. With moments of both tenderness and heartache, this novel will stay with you long after the final page.

[Becca Verghese · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book on whim while in the airport. The author did a great job portraying the main character's family life and trauma. The prose was also poetic and touching at some points. I enjoyed the first half a lot more than the second. The main character's relationship with her best friend was my favorite part and I was a little surprised and slightly disappointed how it was dealt with later. I also feel like the very last couple of pages felt a little too soapy, but I did like the book overall. I think the best part of this book is the writing. There are a lot of lines that are so beautiful that you have to stop and think for a bit.

[Shahana Kothari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honoured to be the first reviewer on Goodreads.

This was my first time reading a book by Rithvik Singh, and it left a lasting impression on me.
The writing immediately drew me in. The prose is descriptive and lyrical, which makes sense once you learn that the author is a poet. There were many heart-tugging, thought-provoking lines that stayed with me long after I finished reading.

My favourite:

"Dear Ma,
My heart was created in your womb, so why does it still see you as a stranger?"


OOOOOFFF!!! Powerful!

I became deeply attached to the main character, Aashna. Her grief felt intimate and personal. Her relationship with her Naani was beautifully written, with memories that felt incredibly real. I felt like I truly knew these characters and grew alongside them. Her Naani reminded me of someone in my own life with a similar personality and warmth, and because of that, I cried through much of the first half.

Her relationship with her parents was deeply complex. I found myself constantly torn between empathising and resenting her mother, and that uncertainty came purely from reading the book. I can’t even begin to imagine how confused Aashna must have felt living through that dynamic herself.

The book also addresses abuse in its many forms. It’s a difficult subject to approach, but it was handled with great care, sensitivity, and realism. It explores how abuse changes you and can quietly become a part of who you are until healing begins. It shapes how you see yourself and the world, and how those perceptions can carry into relationships and friendships. The way the author navigates this through the characters felt thoughtful, intentional, and very cleverly done.


MORE SPOILERS INCOMING DO NOT READ IF U HAVE NOT READ BOOK!

The story then shifts into Aashna’s school life and her friendship with Shanvika, which was heartwarming and wholesome and I loved the female friendship element and how they both supported each other and helped the other heal! It was sweet, much like her relationship with Kanishq. Their connection was beautiful and romantic, and I genuinely wanted them to end up together. There were moments that made me cringe at times, but never enough to pull me out of the story!

However I was shocked by how Kanishq acted on Aashna’s birthday, as I didn’t see it coming. He had always been so gentle and kind with her. If that side of him existed, I wish we had seen hints of it earlier. But I suppose that’s often how it is. Sometimes, it’s only when someone reaches their lowest point that their darker sides emerge.

I went through real heartbreak with Aashna. I almost didn’t want to continue reading because I didn’t like where the story seemed to be heading. In the second half, some aspects were genuinely difficult to read. Watching her fall into unhealthy habits, becoming withdrawn, smoking, and acting rude was uncomfortable, but it also felt honest. Grief doesn’t always look pretty, and this portrayal felt true to life.

The only part I didn’t enjoy was the sexual descriptions toward the end. The book had been so tender and emotionally driven without explicit scenes, so these few moments felt out of place compared to the otherwise sweet and wholesome tone of the story and felt unnecessary.

Structurally, the book handles grief beautifully. The first half is heavy and sorrowful, while the second half allows more space for hope without erasing the loss and the grief was still there coming in waves, just as it does in real life..

We move through the process of healing alongside the main character, which gave me a strong sense of closure.

I would highly recommend this book to poetic souls who crave to feel when reading.

[Khushi Agrawal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made me feel emotionally irritable in the best possible way. It’s not a love story in the typical sense, and that’s what makes it stand out. It’s more of a fictional life journey of a girl, tracing her path from childhood to the phase where she finds her soulmate.

The story revolves around her school life, college days, career, job, relationships, and most importantly, her childhood trauma shaped by an unhappy and violent family environment. That emotional depth makes the story very connecting, relatable, and raw.

As an Indian reader reading a book by an Indian author, it felt even more personal and familiar. The writing has a cozy, reflective vibe, and the story feels close to real life rather than dramatic fiction.

It’s emotional, thoughtful, and quietly powerful. A good, meaningful read.

[aashka · Rating 3 out of 5]

parts of this book made me want to stay on the page forever reading the sentences over again and other parts were more of a skip for me - although extremely reliant on male validation and cheesy at times, this book talked about loss and goodbye in such a relatable way (could because the main character goes by aashu). i love the way it bounced between her childhood thoughts and her more mature reflections while recounting events. lucky to have found this book in a street bookstore in india, i think i’ll be reading this author more!

[Love Your · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved how emotional, deep expressions, fear, grief, love has been expressed. And how in the end the story was beautifully weaved together. Did I cry? Yes, so many times. Did I leave the book? No. I stayed till the end.

[Ritika Duggal]

very heart touching story