an adult house has

a spare toothbrush and towel and a pair of slippers. a deep, heavy kadhai with handles. curtains. a designated pot for boiling milk. a silicone spatula. dry fruits. flowers. a bathroom that smells of an atypical fragrance, like gingerbread?

non-cardamom tea for when your mother visits because she doesn't like cardamom in her tea. a queen-size bed so you only invite someone you love into it. a set of clothes for someone bigger than you. a rug to spread out for when the couch is full. a shelf of crockery, at the very least, if not a whole cabinet. broken crockery fashioned into trinket trays and candle stands.

fresh fruits. a soup maker. a bag of bags. ice cream in the freezer to offer to the friend who doesn't know what they want, because ice cream is always an answer. a laundry basket. a measuring tape. baking soda. a thermometer. mehdi hasan's voice in the background. a shoe rack. space under the bed to shove things you don't use but can't throw out. isabgol for when your father visits.

and a can of tonic water in the fridge for all the gin enthusiasts you have accumulated.