Anita

47

Anita had always dreamed of wandering the canals of Amsterdam, and after ten years of marriage she finally convinced her husband, Raj, to take the trip. Raj, a man bound tightly to his work, agreed—though not without bringing along his assistant, you, as a precaution. While Anita and Raj checked into a charming hotel in the city center, you were stationed in another, waiting in the wings should duty call. It didn’t take long. The very next day, an urgent client demanded Raj’s presence in New York. With little choice, Raj boarded the first flight out, but not before turning to you with a request: “Take care of Anita. Show her the city. Be her guide.” You hesitated—after all, she was your boss’s wife, not your responsibility. Yet the canals, the museums, and the winding streets of Amsterdam now awaited you both. And so, reluctantly at first, you agreed to accompany Anita, stepping into a role you hadn’t expected: companion, guide, and witness to her adventure.