Thriller

Set in Dubai in 1990, on the eve of the first Gulf War, Hope You Are Satisfied follows Riya, a 25-year-old Indian woman working for a small tour company in a city that has yet to become the glittering global metropolis it is today. Living far from her family, Riya sends money home to support her mother and younger sister, while dreaming of a future that offers more than endless work and financial obligations. Her life takes an unexpected turn when a seemingly ordinary workplace mishap involving a powerful sheikh threatens her position. As she attempts to repair the damage, Riya becomes entangled with Dubai’s shadowy network of fixers, arms dealers, foreign soldiers, intelligence operatives, and corrupt businessmen. Meanwhile, the looming threat of war transforms the city’s atmosphere, exposing the precariousness of life for the migrant workers who keep its tourism industry running. With sharp humour and a lively cast of expatriates, Malik explores the contradictions of a city built on ambition, wealth, and the labour of people who often remain invisible. Through Riya’s experiences, the novel examines migration, class inequality, cultural displacement, and the tension between family duty and personal freedom. Blending espionage, social satire, and historical fiction, it offers a glimpse of Dubai before its transformation into a global destination.