Gopal was recently left by his wife. He is depressed, spending all of his time within the confines of his suburban American house, and can't distract himself well, given his retirement from AT&T. When his divorced neighbor, Mrs. Shaw, knocks on his door, asking for the lawnmower, he decides to pursue her romantically. He consults magazines, primarily Cosmopolitan, to find out what it means to be a perfect lover.

After their first date, during which they have sex, Gopal aims to be caring, honest, and responsive. He makes dinner for Mrs. Shaw and compliments her body, but she holds him at a distance. When he confesses her love for her, she breaks things off, assuring him that she does love him but cannot be in love with him. Gopal needs clarification; he doesn't see the difference between those concepts.

During their split, Gopal watches to see if Mrs. Shaw is with other men. When he notices a foreign car in her driveway, he makes his way over to their house but stops himself from knocking on her door. The following day, he pays her a visit. Seeing her in the doorway, he's struck by her beauty.