every night i take a shower. I let the day wash away. let the water cleanse any bad away with some soap and scrubbing. I turn off the lights. I let the darkness enclose me. Tuck me away and blend me in. I listen. I listen to my running thoughts, the tap is never turned off, so the words keep flowing through my mind. I crack op en my window. Let the cold air bite me and the crickets sing me a lullaby. The constant noise calms me down. I climb under the covers. They shield me from anything that had gone wrong. Wrap me up and never let me go. Then, I listen. Listen for the heartbeat, my heartbeat. It pounds back against the eery silence. It shows me that it has made it, through another long day.It’s as strong and alive as ever. Loud and clear. She is here and so I close my eyes and fall away into the night to the sound of the quick heartbeats and midnight hums.

Ankita Bhat