I am leaving for work" I tell him before I bang the door close and rush down the stairs as I'm late for the train.

I'm Jyothi 28 years old and my husband Venkat (32) are Indian immigrants living in the USA. Married for 3 years we have a stable marriage that sometimes even makes some of our friends jealous.I joke to myself that it's the stability of an arranged marriage. However moving to NYC from the west coast after the wedding was the best decision I had made in my life. The city is so vibrant and I've made so many friends.

I reach the train station making my way through the Brooklyn rush. Rush hour trains are my nightmare and avoid them working from home. "I don't want to miss this train" I tell myself as I rush down the stairs.

The doors close, but only just, then they open again as a hand holds on to it. "Thank you" I tell him with a quick glance as he gives a nod.

I feel a tap on my shoulder as I put back in my earphones. I look at him, pointing to my open handbag.

"Thank you," I sheepishly say again as I close my bag. "I...I was just in a rush today".

"So eager to get to work," he playfully retorts.

"Quite the opposite,” I chuckle. “I would do anything other than having to go to work".

"That makes two of us, I'm James." He offers his hand for a quick handshake in the crowded train. The close proximity ensures I get a good whiff of his cologne, that draws me wanting another smell of him.

We learn about each other...James who works in finance also lives in Brooklyn a few blocks from me. He's American, a white man, lived in NYC for most of his adult life and enjoys staying active, daily walks in the city and proclaims to be a very good cook. He also takes great interest to learn about me and is curious about how I ended up in the US. He tells me about his travels to India and I was so surprised when he mentioned that he's been to my city.

James gets me talking and I live up to the reputation of an Indian woman - yes we talk non-stop once we have a sense of comfort. I tell him about how different and yet similar NYC is compared to India, how it was growing up back home and how I enjoy living here now.

"You have lovely features, and the sticker on your forehead accentuates it," he said.

"Thank you. This is called a bindi. I love wearing it and it comes in different shapes. Red is usually worn by married women".

"I'll keep an eye out for what you wear the next time I see you," James said. "What would you do if you weren't heading to work on a Monday morning Jyothi".

I take a few long seconds to think "Anything else really...go for a walk in the park, go for brunch or just watch a movie. Just anything else" I said with a sigh.

"Then why don't we get down in the next stop and make it happen, an impromptu date," he winks.

I self consciously looked around to see if anyone would have overheard him. "I...I should have told you sooner. I'm married James. I'll have to turn it down though it sounds fun."

He checks out my hands again "I don't see a ring. Are you single for today?" he chuckles.

"Oh...I forgot to put it on in the rush. And, well we Hindus usually wear this chain as a symbol of marriage. The ring is more of a symbol for the western world" I say flustered.

As I get to work, I think about the interaction with James. It felt so refreshing. And I have a broad smile on my face as I think about being asked out. I don't even remember the last time someone asked me out. And the last time someone noticed me, in a New York subway, amid all the crowd. I blush.

The next day I remember to wear my wedding ring and a different shaped bindi, a red vertical one. "I'm being foolish. I'm not going to see him again" I think to myself as I get to the train station at the same time.

"Looking for me," I hear his voice from behind.

"Hi James," I smile.

There begins our journey of seeing each other everyday in the midst of thousands of people. And my journey of doing simple things like wearing a different color, different shoes, a different style, a different hairstyle and being noticed by him. It felt good again to be seen and to be observed by someone.