The heavy bass resonates in the bathroom, the vocals barely audible over the running water. The comforting scent of moringa* travels across the skin, through the room. Thoughts hold no shape, lost in the steam. But the song comes to an end. I turn off the shower and wrap myself in a towel. As I open the window, the sound of the city invites itself back into my home. The ambient floral scent disappears between horn blasts and what-ifs. The invisible roots tighten around my lungs again. I wipe my tearful eyes. Yet my hands still reek of hopeful moringa.
*Moringa, Moringa oleifera, aka drumstick tree, is a tree native to South Asia. Many parts of the tree are eaten and used in herbal medicines. The oil is good for dry skin.