Gehraiyaan.

Chapter 29

- 7 Years Later -

- Ohio, USA -

"Oh, hey!", a squeak emerges, seconds after I answer the incoming video call; the excitement in her voice washes away the weight of a hectic day.

"We're catching up after four months, maybe? It's impossible to catch you right now, you busy-bee!", Kesh exclaims, as I settle down on my bed, in front of the laptop with my mug of Espresso.

"Oh, my God! That bump. You might explode today, or tomorrow, K!", I point at her pregnancy bump and she giggles, covering her mouth. "I'm fucking nervous, you don't even know", she breathes, keeping her hands over her baby bump.

Kesh is pregnant - that statement honestly hits me, bringing me to realization how far we've traveled in life, how we've grown up in adults, and how everyone's life has taken its turn.

Kesh lives in Madras, with her South Indian husband. She has been married for over five years now, and after visiting over 25 countries with her husband, they have eventually decided to visit parenthood. I'm more than thrilled to be an Aunt!

Kesh and I somehow got in touch through Instagram, once I moved to the USA. She would often reply to my stories, and slowly, that turned into regular texting and video calls. We're closer than ever, right now; even closer than we were at work. I cannot believe I'm saying this, but she's my best-friend right now, honestly, and the only person I'm in touch with from Mumbai.

I lost touch with almost all my colleagues at work from Mumbai. I don't even remember most of their names, but I do follow some of them on social media and whenever I'm bored, I keep an eye on what's happening in their lives. I mean, everyone portrays every little moment of their life on social media right now; you're literally a touch away from gaining a gist of people's life. As intriguing as it sounds, the idea of losing privacy is a little unsettling.

Anyways, back to my old colleagues. Naveen recently posted a picture of his little daughter; it's his second child. I heard that Sanya has moved to Dubai, with her husband and that she's a mother of three children. I cannot even imagine that, to be honest. She's probably that Aunt who spills the tea wherever she goes, and I wonder if that 'gossip group' is still active.

Everywhere, everyone's getting married, having their surnames changed, giving birth to babies and then, there's me - still standing unbeaten as Navya Shekhawat.

The past seven years have been life changing in so many ways for me, but not in terms of finding a man.

Long story short - I landed in a moderately paying job in Surat - which made me regret my decision of moving out of Mumbai every damn day - but they promised me that if I'd remain sincere to my job for two years, they'd transfer me to the US. Despite the challenge and minimal wage, I stuck around the job, whilst working other shifts in other companies. Eventually, they kept their promise and I fetched my one-way ticket to The US. Alone.

Terrified is an understatement to how I felt when I boarded the flight; I cried throughout the journey, and when I stood on the US grounds, I didn't know what to do. To me, Ohio was the exact opposite of Surat, or even Mumbai in that matter. Perhaps, the novelty in the air felt different and it took me more than forever to settle in. My anxiety escalated, whenever I had to keep a conversation with people because they'd simply laugh at my accent, or something about me. But overtime, I learnt, evolved and matched their level. I had to trust the process.

I worked a regular nine-to-five job for three years, and just two years ago, I decided to take a leap of faith by tossing my job into the trashcan for a start-up. My own business. A restaurant.