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to the luxurious Delhi Taj Palace. His plan was to take an auto rickshaw to Rohit and Lubna’s homestay. It was all so exciting for him.
    He felt a thud as the wheels touched down. People clapped. They were on the ground in India.
    When the airplane doors opened, the night air poured in, replacing the clean cabin air with pollution. Elena didn’t seem to notice any difference. Rick thought it was because she had been to India many times and the pungent, foul air was familiar. Exiting was slow, as usual. Passport checks and customs still lay ahead of them.
    The air inside the plane now smelled like a mixture of old urine and something burning. It wasn’t long before Rick’s tongue started to swell and he couldn’t take deep breaths.
    A few minutes later, as he stood in the customs line, he looked out of the airport window into the night. All he could see were yellow bursts of streetlights trying to permeate the thick, smoky haze. For him, Delhi was hate at first sight.
    “Rick, remember to get a mobile phone so we can stay in touch. Please don’t forget.”
    “I’ll get one. I don’t want to lose you,” he assured her, smiling flirtatiously.
    “You won’t. Get Airtel. It’s a phone service that will allow unlimited calls to anywhere in India and the USA.”
    “Thank you. I’ll call you at your hotel after I settle in.”
    After customs, they walked out of the airport, where a man in a white Mercedes sedan met Elena. She introduced Rick to Sudar, the driver. Rick kissed Elena’s cheek and they said their goodbyes. After blowing another kiss to Rick from the open car window, she was off. He pondered how he could have such warm feelings for Elena. He hardly knew her.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 4
     
     
    India at last!
    Rick’s feet pressed hard on Indian soil. The pollution still consumed him. He wondered if this was a harbinger of a bleak reality yet to come. Did he want to be in a country where he couldn’t breathe the air or drink the water?
    Rick wheezed his way through his surroundings. He could see particles of dirt and sand near the streetlights hanging in the air, adding to the foggy atmosphere. He hoped these conditions were only present at the airport because of takeoffs and landings on sandy runways. He wanted so much to be in India and knew he had to adapt. Maybe the polluted, odorous, and dirty India was the real India, the India he couldn’t smell or see in his Lonely Planet Guide.
    He’d once believed human beings needed two things to survive, clean air and water. Delhi didn’t have either. The air filled everyone’s lungs with pollution, and those brave enough to drink the tap water took the chance of coming down with Delhi Belly. He put a handkerchief over his mouth and threw his backpack into the next auto rickshaw in line outside the airport. He had to get some sleep in a real bed.
    They drove off, leaving a trail of dust and sand. The driver pushed on the horn incessantly as they made their way out of the airport onto a main road. He maneuvered his way around hordes of people, who walked between the traffic like phantoms in the night.
    Rick leaned forward and asked the driver, “Is Delhi always this polluted?”
    “No, sir, it is usually worse,” he replied in his lilting accent. “After one or two more days, it will not be a noticeable thing for you.”
    Rick was thrilled to be in a country that was so different from anywhere he had ever been, but at the same time, he was sickened by the air and his stomach was twisting in knots.
    As they drove along the crowded streets, every detail flooded his eyes. Women’s colorful saris sparkled in the night, and the multitude of yellow and black three-wheeled auto rickshaws fought to go nowhere in a hurry. They were all creeping along, blowing their horns nonstop, as throngs of people weaved between the vehicles. It was a bumpy, uncomfortable ride. Rick leaned back in his seat and thought about Elena.
    There’s something