While on the “Q TRAIN” in New York City, Anna terribly shy young woman, is obsessing on an assignment her therapist has given her: to talk to a stranger. At the next subway stop Doug gets on the train and attempts to get Anna’s attention to the fact that her purse is unzipped. Anna flinches, and Doug resents what feels like a snub. Last to enter the train is Niaz, a Muslim woman wearing a Hijab. She accidentally bumps into Anna, and apologizes; but her apology is ignored, leaving Niaz resentful.

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The train jolts to a stop. Doug, noticing that Niaz is wearing a Hijab and studying a chemistry book, jumps to the conclusion that she is a terrorist. He questions her, aggressively, and she explains that she is a nursing student. He doesn’t believe her, and his level of tension escalates. Anna is afraid for Niaz and feels she has to do something, “ANNA’S DECISION”, but cannot imagine what. Finally, Anna turns to Niaz and strikes up a seemingly irrelevant conversation. After a moment of hesitation, Niaz catches on to Anna’s strategy and converses, thus successfully frustrating Doug’s attempts to provoke her.

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The train once again jolts, the lights dim. Doug’s anxiety and rage give way to a full panic attack. Niaz recognizes Doug’s symptoms, and she reaches out to him with a Farsi song she learned from her mother “RUMI”. Anna joins in counterpoint (in English), and the song succeeds in calming Doug.

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After he recovers, Doug asks Niaz to forgive him for verbally attacking her. Niaz tells him she won’t forgive him, not until she knows he has changed his behavior in the future.
The train lights come back to normal, and it resumes its journey. Doug exits at the next stop. Anna asks Niaz if she will go to the movies with her this coming weekend. Niaz says no -- but only because it’s Ramadan. They agree to go to the movies sometime in the future and leave the train “Q TRAIN (reprise)”.