From New York Skylines to Delhi Smog: Operations Devi Chapter 2 Sneak Peek
Chapter-2
As the plane descended into Delhi, Radhika’s heart pounded with excitement. She pressed her forehead against the cold window, her breath creating a faint mist on the glass as she strained to see the city below. For months—no, years—she had imagined this moment, thinking of her return with a kind of reverence, as though coming home would somehow stitch together the gaps that life abroad had carved into her soul.
The view was hazy, obscured by thick, yellow-gray smog, but still, she searched for familiar shapes—the broad avenues, the clusters of flat rooftops, the green patches of parks she remembered from childhood. Nothing was clear, yet her heart surged. She was home. Radhika and her husband, Gopal, had spent over a decade in New York, or more specifically, New Jersey, building their lives from the ground up. They lived in a modest apartment in Jersey City, a stone's throw from the towering skyline of Manhattan.
The city offered them everything they had ever wanted—opportunity, independence, and a chance to create their own path. Gopal had moved to the city first, chasing his dreams in the tech industry, and Radhika followed shortly after. She found her niche working as an interior designer, her creativity breathing life into homes, offices, and cafes. They had carved a comfortable life in the bustling metropolis, but despite their success, something was always missing—a sense of belonging, a connection to their roots.
Getting to Delhi had been anything but easy. Flights were expensive, time off work scarce, and the logistics of traveling with a young child were daunting. Yet the pull of home was relentless. Radhika had spent months planning this trip—coordinating with her family through endless text messages and video calls, preparing shopping lists for her relatives, packing and repacking gifts to get everything just right. A faint headache was already forming behind her eyes, the recycled cabin air mixing with her growing anxiety.
She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to summon the excitement she had felt months ago when they booked the tickets. After three years away, she had wanted this return to feel triumphant. The thick, oppressive fog clung to the streets like a shroud, blurring everything in sight. It was hard to breathe, the air heavy and suffocating. She adjusted her scarf over her mouth, a feeble barrier against the toxic air, and watched her husband, Gopal, and daughter, Ananya step into the waiting taxi.
Ananya, wide-eyed, curious, and her jetlagged mind struggled to keep up with the new surroundings. Radhika had promised her daughter stories of India—tales of kites soaring above crowded rooftops, of the sweet scent.
