CO2 for You, Cutu: northern India’s food orders now come with a Breath of Fresh Air
by Aditi VermaIn a city where breathing is now a luxury, a food delivery app in northern India’s Delhi has made waves by adding a surprising side to its menu an oxygen bag.
The incident took place in Delhi on November 19.
Visuals showed a young woman in an office who received her online food order and was surprised to find not just food packets but also a small plastic bag filled with oxygen. The transparent bag had a playful sticker on it, boldly displaying the words: “O2 for you, cutuuu 
” in bright, quirky font. The oxygen pack, nestled among her meal containers, looked both amusing and bizarre.
According to reports, as Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) shot up to a hazardous 526, Magicpin, the local food delivery app, sent an “oxygen” pack along with a food order on Tuesday. The recipient, likely expecting a side of fries, instead received a bag of “fresh air.” The stunt sparked a viral moment on social media, with users joking that oxygen packs might become as common as bottled water in the future.
“People laughed when bottled water first came out. Now it’s essential. Oxygen bags are next!” commented a user. The national capital, meanwhile, continues to choke in a gas chamber-like situation. The Delhi government has moved 50% of its employees to work-from-home mode, while universities like DU and JNU have temporarily switched to online classes.
Adding to the chaos, trains, and flights faced delays and cancellations due to the thick smog that turned the city into a foggy dystopia. While the oxygen bag delivery provided some much-needed humor, it’s a grim reminder of the stark reality Delhiites face.
Perhaps, in the near future, ordering food with a side of oxygen might not just be a joke but a necessity.