THE Business Expo at Providence was a three-day event where businesses showcased their products and services to boost sales. The dynamic environment featured attractive, innovative displays that drew enthusiastic crowds.

I was a large-scale cash crop farmer from Canal No. 1, and my booth, with the slogan “Farming Feeds A Nation”, was a major attraction for patrons. The freshness of organic fruits and vegetables, good for health, and a display of skilled pine peeling fascinated customers.

It was my first expo, and meeting people from all walks of life gave me a great sense of satisfaction: their smiles, laughter, and appreciation for the invaluable work we do as farmers.

On the last night, a small group of women, beautiful and classy, stopped by my booth and were amazed by the bountiful selection of fruits and vegetables. They purchased fruits and took pictures of the booth. The one with a refreshing smile asked to see my pineapple-peeling skills, so I obliged, and she looked amazed. “Wow, that’s really something!”

I offered her slices of pineapple, and she was pleased with the sweet, tangy taste. “I love this.”

She bought a few and asked me to keep them for her until she passed by again.

I obliged again, and a little over an hour later, she was back.

“Thank you,” she said, “and thank you for all your hard work in farming to give us food.”

“It’s what I love to do,” I responded.

One of her friends, who was on her phone, showed her something, and she laughed, quite a beautiful sound. It left me with a strange feeling, and after they left, I watched her go until I could no longer see her, and my sister said, looking at me, “She’s beautiful.”

I took a deep breath, shook my head a little and smiled. “Yes, she is.”

As the days went by, I kept thinking of her; though I had met many beautiful women over the years, something about her made my heart recognise her as different. It was a new and unique feeling, and I asked myself, “Is this love?”

I wasn’t sure that would be a good thing because I was a young farmer living a simple life in the countryside, while she had the class and finesse of a wealthy family.

“What chance would I have,” I pondered, “that she would want me as her close friend?”

Months passed, and I never saw her again until one day I got an invitation to a fundraising dinner. Her name was Ahana Malhotra, and she was hosting the event to raise money for overseas medical treatment for children.

“That’s a wonderful commitment,” I thought. Then I wondered how she got my phone number.

Thinking back to that night at the expo, I recalled my sister handing out the farm’s business card. The fact that she still had my card made me feel good, and I paid for two tickets to the dinner.

On the night of the dinner at the Marriott, I took my sister with me, and I must say I looked quite dapper in a Ralph Lauren suit and my sister looked elegant in a Carolina Herrera evening dress. We usually dressed, but knowing the patrons would be elite and upper-class, we had to dress to fit in.

We knew no one there, but we smiled pleasantly at other invitees as they showed us to our table. I didn’t see Ahana, but a few moments after we sat down, she came over to welcome us.

We stood up, and she exclaimed, “Wow, the two of you look great!”

“Thanks, and so do you,” I responded.

“Quite stunning,” my sister added.

“Thank you.” She laughed a little. “And thanks for supporting the event.”

“Happy to.”

She then excused herself. “I’ll be super busy tonight. Enjoy the dinner, and I’ll see you again later.”

“She’s just a nice person,” my sister intoned.

“Yep,” I agreed.

The dinner was quite a nice affair, with a few speeches from ministers and corporate businesspeople. An hour later, Ahana came back and asked, “Did you enjoy the dinner?”

“Yes, it was enjoyable.”

She turned and nodded to the waiter behind her, who handed her a gift-wrapped bottle, which she gave me.

“This is for you, one of my special brands.”

My sister and I looked mildly surprised, and she handed me her card in explanation. “I am a wine connoisseur, and my business, The Wine Vault, is right here at the hotel.”

“Interesting,” I stated. “So now I know where I can pick up a special bottle of wine.”

She smiled a cheerful smile and went back to her work as we left. That evening left me with two good feelings: one, that I helped the sick children, and two, that I got to see her. I knew my heart was telling me something, but I wasn’t ready to take it seriously, just treading cautiously. I guess it’s because my life was on a different level; instead of taking the opportunity to study to become a doctor, I chose farming. It was in my blood, a legacy inherited from the older generation, and I preferred a simple life: no fast cars, mansions, or gala events. But it seemed as though things might change a little.

Two weeks later, I decided to patronise her wine business at the Marriott. She wasn’t there yet, but she came in later as I looked at all the different brands. She nodded and smiled at me, and a short while later she came over to help.

“Welcome to the Wine Vault. Have you seen anything that interests you?”

“You have an impressive assortment,” I said, “but I have to confess, I don’t know much about wine.”

She laughed a little. “Okay, let me help you with that.”

I was sure her choice would be excellent, so I bought three bottles. I wasn’t a wine guy, but that looked like it was about to change.

“Let me know if you like my choice,” she said.

“Sure, I will.”

I didn’t want to leave; I wanted to stay and talk with her more. I wasn’t sure when I would see her again, but more customers came in, and she got busy.

Weeks went by, and I got occupied with a new project to upgrade and expand the farm, so I didn’t have the time to visit her business again. But my sister and her friends did because they drank two of the bottles I had bought and loved them.

Ahana messaged me that night and said, “I sent a bottle for you, since the girls drank out your wine.”

“You shouldn’t have, but thank you. I’ll have to make sure I drink some before it disappears again.”

“Haha, okay. I’m guessing you’ve been busy with work?”

I told her about the new project I was working on and invited her to come one day so I could give her a tour of the farm.

“That sounds interesting. I’d love that.”

A few weeks later, coming home from the farm at dusk, tired but satisfied with the progress, I saw my sister looking distraught.

“What’s wrong, Priya?”

“You need to see this, Satish.”

She showed me a news report on her phone about a highway accident. The vehicles were badly damaged, and the occupants of both cars suffered severe injuries. One inset photo showed Ahana, listed as critical.

My heart raced as I said hoarsely, “Oh God, no.”

To be continued…