I wore a white cotton lace salwar-kurta imprinted with flowers, topped with an emerald-green dupatta, an ideal outfit for a bright summer day. I had applied light makeup with—a touch of mascara, and a hint of rose-colored lip color.

I took my grocery cart and made my way to the aisles. An elderly man sitting in an electric shopping cart pulled up alongside of me and stopped.

“Do you need help to reach something on the upper shelf?” I asked

“A beautiful woman must smile,” he said and sped off.

Immediately, a big smile broke out on my face.