A Novel in Verse · Book I of III
Across every summer that left a mark —
the confessions she swallowed whole,
the words that lived in her chest
long before they ever reached her lips.
"My name is Vi. That's not a lie. It's just not the whole truth. But we'll get there."
Vi — The Things That Stayed in the Dark
If you put everyone I have ever known in an elevator together, closed the doors, and asked them to describe me — not two of them would give you the same person.
I've thought about this. Carefully, from the outside, the way you'd examine something found at the bottom of a drawer you can't remember keeping.
Some of them would say I'm the most loyal person they've ever had.
Some of them would say I'm the reason they stopped trusting people.
Some of them would tell you I loved them with a precision that felt like surgery. Some of them would say exactly the same thing and mean it as a wound.
They're all right.
That's the part that tends to make people uncomfortable — when I say that. They expect me to push back. Offer context that softens the edges.
I don't.
I learned a long time ago that defending yourself against the truth is just a slower way of drowning.
— The Things That Stayed in the Dark · First LookBook II is the full-length novel behind the poems — the summer, the people, the version of Vi that the poems could only hint at. Coming soon.
"Medicine taught me to read what a patient cannot bring themselves to say. Literature taught me to say it anyway. I became a writer for the same reason I want to be a physician — I cannot stop asking what a person carries that no one else can see."
— Hema GuptaFor anyone curious about medicine from the inside — whether you're a student, a patient, or simply someone who wants to understand the world a little better.
Not a reading list. Not aspirational. These are the books I read in the last four to five months — the ones I finished, the ones that left something behind that I couldn't quite put back.
Third year of medical school is long. These are the supplements I take consistently — not because I read them in a wellness magazine, but because I've found them worth keeping.
Cardiovascular support, reduced inflammation, and brain health. One of the most evidence-backed supplements there is.
Paired together intentionally — K2 directs the calcium that D3 helps absorb. Essential for anyone spending most of their hours under fluorescent lights.
A liquid multivitamin that actually absorbs. Covers the gaps when long rotations make eating balanced meals unrealistic.
Energy, focus, and oxygen transport. Non-negotiable when fatigue is already a given.
A probiotic that doesn't feel like medicine. Rich in live cultures, gut-supporting, and the best kind of supplement — the kind you actually look forward to.
Skin elasticity, joint support, hair strength. Marine collagen has better bioavailability than bovine, and the results are noticeable.
When vegetables don't happen — and in third year, they often don't — this fills the gap. Antioxidants, adaptogens, and greens in one scoop.
Immune support, collagen synthesis, and a powerful antioxidant. Works from the inside out — what you take orally complements what you apply topically.
Rich in gamma-linolenic acid — supports hormonal balance, skin hydration, and reduces inflammation. One of the quieter supplements with some of the most noticeable results.
What I actually use — built around ingredients that work, not aesthetics that look good on a shelf. Brands I trust: CeraVe, SkinCeuticals, and a few others worth knowing.
Look for Vitamin C to brighten and protect from oxidative stress. Good options: SkinCeuticals Clarifying Cleanser, Timeless Vitamin C Cleanser, Neutrogena Bright Boost.
Replenishes the skin barrier immediately after cleansing. Key ingredients: ceramides, Vitamin E, hyaluronic acid. Try CeraVe Hydrating Toner or Paula's Choice Enriched Calming Toner.
Ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide together — barrier repair, deep hydration, and pore minimizing all in one. CeraVe Moisturizing Cream is the gold standard.
The non-negotiable. EltaMD UV Clear SPF 46 — lightweight, non-comedogenic, with niacinamide. The one Hema actually uses. Nothing replaces daily SPF.
Rosewater and glycerin throughout the day for a hydration reset. Or try a sunscreen mist — Caudalie Grape Water SPF doubles as protection and refresh in one spray.
For reapplication on the move. Blue Lizard Baby Mineral Stick SPF 50+ and Aveeno Baby Continuous Protection Stick — yes, they're marketed for babies. They're also clean, gentle, and actually convenient.
Peptides to firm, caffeine to depuff. CeraVe Eye Repair Cream for accessibility; SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Eye Complex if you want to invest. Both are worth it on long-rotation eyes.
Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask overnight for intense repair. For daytime — pure lanolin (yes, the nipple cream). It sounds unexpected; the results are not. Deeply occlusive and unmatched for cracked lips.
"Most people get a version of me. You get the real one — the updates on Book II, the poems that didn't make it in, the things I'm still deciding whether to say out loud. Whenever something is ready. Never when it isn't."
No schedule. No filler. When there's something worth sending — a chapter, a poem, a thought that became something larger — it arrives. That's the deal.
Some things don't make sense. And that's completely fine.
I stopped trying to articulate the things that leave me with more questions than answers. I stopped trying to articulate you. I started accepting that maybe two people can be connected in a way science cannot explain. And what science cannot explain, alchemy does.
I felt it before I knew what was happening. A tug in my chest. A heaviness that settled somewhere between my ribs. The quiet vanishing of something I didn't know I could lose. February 25th. Three sensations. One cause. The one who selfishly changed the hue of my blood to match his eyes. You.
For someone who can articulate her decisions — good or bad. Her actions — good or bad. Her emotions — good or bad. For this, I have no strategy. No answer. Nothing except the knowing.
Regardless of what religion you believe in. Regardless of what faith you carry. Regardless of having any faith at all — we can agree on this: a body without a soul is a corpse. And a soul without a body is lost. Whatever lives in between is the only way I know how to describe what I have been these last few months.
There is a great author — one of my personal favorites — who once wrote: "Whatever souls are made of, his and mine are the same."
I'm starting to believe it's true.
I'm starting to believe you took mine somewhere between June 2024 and 2026. And on February 25th you drank it — the way you drink your favorite shot of espresso. Like it was always yours. Like you already knew the taste.