The smoke rings and collapsing universe
She lay there, staring at the ceiling, gazing the corners of the roof like they might change if she paid a bit more attention. With her open flowing hair, a curl or two kept fighting for their place near the curve of her lips, while the wind of the fan kept blowing them off. In the dim yellow light, her face glowed and so did the tangled thoughts within her.
The universe in her bounds, was collapsing today, to be rebuilt from scratch. This had become quite frequent now. After every break-up, she’d be with herself for a day or two, deciding how will she carry herself, be, and grow from here on. She would change her entire facade, her hair, her direction of thinking, and even her wardrobe. Every break-up had become a way of losing dead skin, and coming out with a brand new one. The collapse was hurtful this time, though, as if the universe within was attached to the skin from inside, and was trying to dissolve her existence with itself. Maybe because this one was special and because it was meant to be, or so she thought.
The smoke rings had always been her best friend in such times. No, she wasn’t a smoker, not the usual one, but the crumpling universe often demanded her to be a bit out of control. The question, “why did he leave?” was still lingering, hurting her process of remoulding. Maybe she was in love this time, or was it just a stubborn thought?
As she dragged in the last smoke, she knew it’s time. She knew that the healing must end now and that she had a few more tasks to attend to, to complete the transition. The cigarette was finally crushed to lose the withheld fire, and she wore her smile back, the perfect one. She took a shower, getting rid of the final thoughts, and cleansing her soul for the new attire that awaited her. This time she wanted tan skin, short curled hair, and a few jumpsuits. She’d now wear flats, no shimmer shammer. And would definitely get her nose pierced. With the checklist in hand, she left her ‘old’ house, for a new home. As she checked the items on the checklist, she knew, she needed a new ‘man’ too. While she looked the epitome of innocence, the dead body of her old love being dragged out by some firemen, told another story. She was pure again, her soul fresh as new, and her persona revamped. She wore her best smile to kill people, literally!
