If Not You...

Inspired by True Events

By: Shern-Min Chow, Nila Arjun

Narrated by: Deepa Samuel

“They are waiting for me to die.”

But Nila will neither die nor live as expected. When a horrific fire in India ravages her legs and spirit, she finds an unlikely champion in a higher caste boy. Since they cannot marry, they vow: “If Not You… then no one.”

They will honor that pledge for ten unsparing years, facing outraged family, bitter dowry expectations, and a sudden, suspicious death. Banished to the slums, Nila’s only weapons are a remarkable mind and an iron will. Then comes a “Cinderella” offer: an arranged marriage to a wealthy stranger promising unimagined luxury… but with a catch.

As Nila battles the sins of her own birth, she receives a catastrophic medical diagnosis for her unborn baby. A promise becomes a challenge: “If Not You… then who?” Inspired by true events, Nila’s breathtaking odyssey spans 30 years. A girl from the heart of India will become a leading research scientist in the elite cancer labs of America. It is a soaring portrait of integrity and the devastating, beautiful choices we make for the ones we love.

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