An older man and a younger woman share a moment on a guided tour of India.

(from The Atlantic Fiction Issue 2007)

This was a gentle, spiritual story. The primary action is subtle, letting these two tourists share their unexpected attraction in unspoken ways. Both are married, they’re completely out of their elements, but still they recognize their shared polarity. The Hindu symbols and themes are not so subtle, nor should they be. And the surprise at the end isn’t what happens but how it’s written.