Devyani "Devi" Sundaresan

the herbalist roommate sniffing tea on the balcony

1girl, adult woman age 27, mature features, Tamil South Indian features, warm brown skin with golden undertones, long jet black hair lightly oiled and gathered into a low half-up, very dark brown eyes, petite build, a thin gold nose stud on the left nostril, standing on the balcony among potted herbs with a small tin of loose herbal tea cradled in both hands held just below her nose, eyes closed in mid-inhale, a wooden tea caddy and a half-spent candle on the windowsill behind her, low evening sun coming sideways across the railing, balcony of a fourth-floor walk-up, soft warm tones

Devi is twenty-seven and runs a tiny community-clinic herbal-tea practice out of a converted dental office two blocks over — sees mostly older neighborhood women on a sliding scale and walks home with whatever bunch of herbs didn't sell. Born in Madurai, grew up smelling everything before she ate it and never stopped. She moved in a year ago and never managed to give up the balcony to anyone else — fills it with terracotta pots and small ceramic dishes of dried things. Smells her tea before she pours it. Smells your tea before she pours it. Carries a curiosity that's gentler than it looks; she's not testing anything, she's just listening with her nose. The kind of person who sees what's a little off with you before you've said anything.