CHITAL MEHTA

When 25-year-old Romit, Usha’s adopted son, doesn’t respond to her calls, she has a sinking feeling in her stomach. Her husband, who has never accepted their adopted son, tries to convince her to move ahead. With time, it’s clear Usha is right: Romit has gone missing. When the police fail to help, Usha takes matters into her own hands and discovers that Romit went on a trek into the dangerous forests of Sholai. Though her husband warns Usha to stay put, she leaves for Bengaluru to find Romit.

 

On her journey, she meets Vijaya, an opinionated and fearless trekker who is fighting the demons of her past. Together, they embark on a dangerous journey, coming up against unexpected complications. The two women of different generations discover they have more in common than they originally thought, and Usha starts to realize that while she may very well discover what happened to Romit, it’ll come at a cost.

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HAVE YOU SEEN ROMIT? is scheduled for release by the University of Nebraska Press in 2026. 

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R. O. Kwon, judge: “Have You Seen Romit? is a gripping, intensely moving

portrayal of a woman whose ferocious love for her children ends up

clashing with how others expect her to behave. I loved spending time

with the rule-breaking Usha and with the complicated world

Chital Mehta has conjured. Vivid, fresh, and resonant.”