Mumbai, Feb 25 (IANS): 'Kumkum Bhagya' actress Pooja Banerjee has decided to take maternity leave and bid a heartfelt goodbye to the show. She was seen playing a negative role of Rhea Mehra. Her association with the show spanned three years.

Pooja mentioned: "I knew this day was coming but honestly I wasn't really prepared for it. It's overwhelming to see the amount of love pouring in from everyone on the set and I think my 'Kumkum Bhagya' family has taken more care of me than my own family."

"So, I am honestly thankful to each and every person who gave me the opportunity to play Rhea Mehra. She is a character that will always be very close to my heart."

Adding further about how she spent her last day on the set, Pooja added: "I did shed a couple of tears here and there. Everyone was very upset and sad about me leaving and it was difficult for me to say goodbye to all of them. Being the sweetest people they are, they had a little surprise planned for me to celebrate my last day."

"We had a cake cutting celebration, we danced a little, everybody was singing, talking, crying. I made sure to thank each one of them before saying goodbye," she concluded.

'Kumkum Bhagya' airs on Zee TV.