The aorta

That was my first love, a face I've never known. Her laughter guided me to unravel the details, and witnessing them led me to connect them. Sleeping beside her brought the tranquility of the night, and gazing at her face in the moments before sleep opened a door to the morning sun. The place where she was filled my heart with joy. When she ran to the kitchen to turn off the stove, my heart followed her. As we sipped our tea, I would catch glimpses of her, my eyes lingering over the rim of the cup, a practice we shared over a monthly meal. I would drink in her eyes, paying attention to where she sat, either because of her posture, or because I wanted to reach her and feel her presence. When someone rang the doorbell and answered it first, I didn't see the visitor's face, but hers when she turned around. She was the visitor after a long separation. She understood that things find their place within her, that they exist within her, like night, morning, and the present moment. From her earliest years until she turned thirty-seven, she remained full of feeling and poetic spirit, easily hurt by the smallest things. A harsh look or an inappropriate word would wound her deeply. She wasn't one to rush into tears; she would cry at a certain time, after several days, and she couldn't resist the water that had filled the cracks in her heart. Even now, Riya still rises above everything Inay sees, like a piece of wood floating on water. She is my happy salvation, like the last dollar in my pocket, enough to get me a ride home. That was my first taste of love, a face etched in my memory forever. Her laughter revealed the complexities of her soul, and her frown drew me closer. Sleeping beside her was a cradle of tranquility through the night, and gazing at her as sleep threatened to open the door to the morning sun. Her presence filled my heart with pure joy. When she rushed to the kitchen to silence the crackling gas stove, my heart raced ahead of her, and as I sipped my tea, my eyes stole glances at her, tracing the lines of her face with every passing moment. Sometimes, our eyes would cross when we met for breakfast. Sitting next to her, I felt my being intensify, while facing her, my self expanded to a greater level.