So, I begin to tell her about my own life, about the ups and downs, the twists and turns it’s taken after our university days. I share some meaningless stuff, acutely aware of how small my world is compared to hers. But Richa listens intently, offering words of encouragement and support whenever they’re needed. And as I talk, I find myself opening up to her in a way I haven’t done with anyone else in a long time. I’m surprised with myself, but I’m just following Neer’s advice about sharing my feelings without fearing judgement. Sometimes, some people become a part of your thoughts no matter how much you want them to stay away. Neer was clearly one of those people for me. I must admit though, it did feel nice to take the load off my chest.

‘Now tell me, what made you take this road trip?’ I ask Richa as we sip our drinks. ‘I’ve been wanting to do so many things but somehow, I’ve never been able to take that crazy plunge. How did you do it?’

‘Okay, so it’s a bit of a long story. I was out shopping at a supermarket for groceries. It was a week or two before Christmas and I had some friends coming over for dinner. I was in the condiments aisle, holding a bottle of ketchup in my hands, when I nearly dropped it because I heard a gunshot. Turns out, an armed person on the floor above ours had opened fire on the people there. I literally peed in my pants as I ran out of the store and drove straight home without looking back. I was scared to death, and that night, I promised myself that I was going to do everything I wanted to because life comes with an expiry date, just like that bottle of ketchup that I’d been holding in my hands.’

‘God, Richa, that must’ve been so harrowing,’ I say, leaning forward to hold her hand and offering her a tissue to wipe the tears rolling down her face. ‘What is up with these people? America is no one’s land. It’s definitely not entirely theirs. Even they got here a couple of generations ago. So, it’s basically a land of immigrants. They’re the older immigrants and we are the new ones. What is up with their arrogance?’

‘Fuck the guns!’ Richa shouts at the top of her voice.

‘Yeah! Fuck them!’ I say, raising my glass and gulping the rest of my drink down in one go. ‘Okay, let’s forget about all this. Now tell me, what’s been your best experience on this trip so far?’