like racing through the archways of roman cathedrals wearing your best dress. like the warm flush in your cheeks when they're just a little too close. like accidentally inhaling a scent that hurls you into the garden of your memories.

like a cold, greige winter evening. like the warmth of a cup of coffee that seeps through the paws of your sweater. like sitting in an empty metro as it crosses a bridge.

like missing someone i never even had. like basking near a seashore in the month of december. like a pall of mist against the window.

like a sleepover with your best friends. like watching the old disney shows in the dead of night. like reaching the pinnacle of your teen years with your girl friends.

like a fruit-flavoured bubblegum. like a bright summer afternoon peppered with watermelon slices. like the first sip of the coldest soda can after enduring the brutal assault of the sun in july.

like being seventeen and absolutely crazy in love. like wanting to confess to your crush but not having the gall to take the first step. like sitting behind them in the class and watching them from afar.

like holding your senior dog in your arms while the light fades from their eyes. like sun on your skin when the heat isn't so harsh. like writing on a fresh page of paper after you've spoiled the older ones.

like entering through the doorway of youth, straight into your late teens. like a perfumed clearing in the season of spring. like the innocence of young love.

like drinking your heart out and partying at 2 in the morning. like attending the most important concert of your life. like being 21.

like the night before your birthday with all of your friends around. like the lightest shade of colour blue. like a crowded amusement park.

like the brink of a final goodbye. like taking a walk in the woods laced with fog. like a period after the word that should've paused with a comma.

like autumn in the city of delhi. like the first bite of a deliciously seasoned chaat. like ruffling the hair of your beloved while strolling past the colourful stalls of a local fair.

like petrichor in a graveyard. like the tender, golden sand that glistens underneath the sun. like the curls and swoops of ink against a yellowed parchment.

like silently cherishing the person you know you cannot reach. like being positively sick with love. like a diwali night, holding sparklers and giggling together, your hand intertwined with theirs.

like absorbing the beauty of a jaded palace. like standing on the balcony while a strong gale musses your hair. like being laden with gold jewellery underneath a chandelier.

like midnight rain, but the desi version of it. like sitting on a wooden boat with your beloved, sailing through a beautiful lake. like the remnants of unfinished poetry.

like plummeting straight into the gulf of pure love. like a summer night on the beach. like the juiciest bite of indian mangoes.

like the sensation of vein-shaped cracks plaguing your heart. like the longest shower in november where your tears mix with the water. like the breaking of your favourite bracelet.

like discovering your favourite artist in real time. like ascending to a whole other plane as the beats of a song penetrate through your flesh. like the feeling that makes you wonder if you'd ever be this young again.

like dragging your class nerd to the annual school festival. like singing on the stage in front of an audience. like the warm-toned countrysides in japan.

like the olden allure of the architecture of lucknow. like buying bangles in the nexus of the nakkhas market. like walking around the alleyways of chowk during the season of ramadan.

like reading "in 27 days" for the first time. like being in a movie trailer where you are the main character. like sitting in the theatre even after the credits have started to roll.

like having a crush in your teen years. like the evenings of 2020. like a glass of cranberry juice.

like stumbling on the footpath while dusk approaches. like a tea-stained newspaper fluttering with the night wind. like turning invisible to judgmental eyes.

this is genuinely how it feels to fall in and out of love. i really like the tactical order of songs in the album! the first half is all about being lovesick and the second half is all about being sick of love. beautiful. easily one of her best works. my favourites so far are u + me = <3, stupid song, and less :)