Kritika Narula
Kritika Narula is a writer, journalist, content marketer from Delhi, India. Her writing has appeared in The Hooghly Review, Usawa Literary Review, Lobster Salad and Champagne Magazine, and The AuVert Magazine, among others. You can find her on Instagram and Threads, on BlueSky, on Twitter, and on her website.
Waiting Period
The woman could deal with the ultra-hectic days,
and the drowsy-lazy ways
but she’d lose all semblance of sanity
in the waiting period.
“Do I keep the fan running?”
“Do I keep the porch light on?”
“Do I take a bath or drown myself in bourbon?”
“Do I bear the sunk costs?”
“Do I serve the rental penalty?”
“Do I believe in the gunslinger’s humanity?”
“Do I cry, am I allowed?”
“Do I clean up the mess?”
“Do I wait for him to confess?”
A kick in the shins,
a punch in the gut, a horse’s trot.
She could bear a lot.
It’s just the waiting period that she cannot.