Brief
To escape the growing emptiness in her life, Nitu buried herself even deeper in work. Board meetings, factory inspections, international calls—anything to keep her mind away from the things she could never have. Her parents, however, saw through the act. Concerned by her isolation, they contacted old family friends and arranged a blind date with someone from Nitu's childhood.
"I'm not interested," Nitu said for the third time.
"Just one dinner," her mother insisted. "Then you can go back to working eighteen hours a day."
Against her better judgment, Nitu finally gave in.
When she arrived at the café, she immediately noticed him.
A man seated by the window.
Tall. Elegant. Effortlessly handsome.
For a moment, Nitu found herself staring.
He was easily the most attractive man she had ever seen.
Then reality returned.
Not for you, she thought bitterly.
Men like that chose younger women. Prettier women. Women society actually wanted.
With a small shake of her head, she looked away and walked toward the table she had been assigned, never once imagining that the handsome stranger and her blind date were the same person.
Nitu checked her watch for what felt like the tenth time.
Five minutes late.
Typical.
She sighed and reached for her coffee.
Of course he hadn't shown up. Men had rejected her for far less than seeing her in person.
Maybe he'd taken one look through the café window and left.
The thought stung more than she wanted to admit.
Then a shadow fell across her table.
"Is this seat taken?"
Nitu looked up.
Her breath caught.
It was him.
The handsome man from the window.
Before she could respond, he pulled out the chair opposite her and sat down.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then he smiled.
A warm, genuine smile.
Not polite.
Not forced.
Not the kind people gave her because she was rich or powerful.
The kind given to someone they were actually happy to see.
"Nitu?" he asked.
She blinked.
"Y-Yes."
