Can't I Touch Your Heart?

Chapter 14 So You Remember?

Ember's stomach grumbled all the time they walked. Rhea kept a straight face which made him more conscious about it. Besides, only she knew that it was his stomach, not others who walked past them.

"Can I die now?" Ember asked as he covered his face.
"Stop overreacting" Rhea said as they walked, "Why are you being so embarrassed about it?" Rhea said and they continued walking. They reached a roadside vendor. She turned towards him and asked if he could eat spicy food.

Ember held his stomach "I prefer sweet" He said, nervously.
"Uncle, two plates of spring roll please? Extra spicy" Rhea said to the vendor who immediately started preparing the street food "Wait! I think you didn't hear me," Ember said.

"Just eat up. It'll help clearing up your stomach tomorrow morning" Rhea said
"And that's exactly what I don't want," Ember said. They got the spring rolls and decide to eat as they walked.

They walked under the shade of Neem trees creating a boulevard, Rhea held her bike with one hand and blew at the hot roll with the other. She took small bites while Ember just stared at it. She looked at him. For the first time she noticed, he had light brown freckled here and there on this fingers. It was absurd how she had never noticed them before but they highlighted his skin's texture, a pink undertone, just like his face.

"I've never eaten this thing, what if it's not good?" Ember turned towards her.
"Well, if you don't like it, you can just return it back," Rhea suggested.
"You say like it's easy to return it back"
"Because it is. I'll eat it if you don't want to,"

"Then," Ember slowly leaned towards Rhea "I'll give you a kiss, if you don't like it, you can just return it back" He whispered.
"No! That isn't how it works!" Rhea shouted.
"It should," Ember said and laughed. He looked at the spring roll and then sniffed it.

"Are you a dog?! Just eat it or I will!" Rhea shouted. Ember pointed it at her "Then eat," He said. She didn't expected that. But it didn't seem like he was joking. She leaned towards the spring roll and almost took a bite of it when he moved it higher. She went towards it when it took it higher up. She glared at it and then decided to jump at it.

He moved it away again.
"Nevermind, I feel like a dog now," She said.
"Took you long enough to realize," Ember said with a smile.
"You're such a...jerk!" She said.

He began laughing and brought the roll near his mouth. Then, he slowly dug his teeth in the roll while Rhea looked at him with complete anticipation. She looked at his lips as he chewed it. He paused abruptly. She looked into his eyes "What is it?" She asked.
He looked into her eyes, and groaned and gulped it down.

"Its too spicy!" He shouted as he flapped his hands near his mouth, "Water!"
"Jeez, white people. Can't even handle a little flavor," Rhea passed him her water bottle. He grabbed it and drunk in about a gallon of water. She remembered how he had passed her a bottle of water when he talked to her for the first time. So, now there were on par.

Ember hung his tongue outside his mouth, "Rhea," He laughed as water left his eyes.
"It was not that spicy, bhai!"
"I hate you so much right now," He laughed.
"Actually, milk is better when you eat spicy stuff," Rhea suggested, "But where will get milk here in the middle of the street?"

He looked at her and a grin covered his face. He quickly covered his mouth and turned back as he snickered.

"What is it?" Rhea asked.
"Unholy thoughts," Ember said.
"Mind telling?"
"It's better if you don't know. It's a guy thing"

"Okay?" 
He wiped his tears, "Man, my ass is so gonna tear up and bleed tomorrow morning. No way in hell can I digest that hell juice I just gulped down. Plus one respect to Indians," 
"Of course. I can eat them and be fine next morning," She took the spring roll from his hand and took a bite of it, "I'll finish it now. Let's get you something sweet. My fault, I should've listened to you"

They soon reached the center of the mall. By then, Rhea was done eating, "We're late anyways. Might as well just skip for today,"
"What a rebel," Ember said.

"Do you have something you wanna eat?" She asked as they sat on her bicycle.
"Actually, I wanna eat a doughnut" Ember replied. Rhea started paddling while Ember sat on the back. She paddled through the hallways inside the mall.

Not too soon, the mall's watchman ran after them, shouting how it was private property and threatened them to stop the bicycle immediately. Ember sat calmly at the back as Rhea ignored him and continued doing what she was doing.

"Rhea, should we do something now?" Ember asked.
"Just hold me tight! We're getting past this!" Rhea said as she increased her speed. Ember wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed his chest on her back. The watchman came in front on them to block them but soon he realized that Rhea wasn't going to stop so he quickly moved away as Rhea passed by him, "Bye bye uncle!" She mocked. He ran after them like a mad bull.

"Do something, you idiot! He's gonna catch up that way," Rhea yelled.
Ember looked at his phone "I'll miss you" The watchman looked at Ember as he chased the bicycle. He removed his SIM and looked at the watchman,

"FETCH!" Ember shouted and he threw his phone into the air, in the opposite direction. The watchman looked at the phone and went after it.

"Heh! I knew it'd work" Ember said as he rubbed his nose. By that time, they were into the 'under construction' zone of the mall where new shops were being built, "What did you do?" Rhea asked.

"Give him a bait" Ember said. She was paddling at full speed when suddenly a small cat came in front of them, "Shit!" She shouted as she tried to apply the brakes but the bicycle's tyre slipped. Ember grabbed Rhea's shirt and they both went down together. The cat yawned and ran away.

"Ouch, that little mother fucker!" Rhea swore, "And you! Get up!" She said to Ember who had fallen on her "Sorry," He apologized as he got up slowly, "OW! My hair!" His necklace was stuck into her hair. Rhea looked at the silver thread falling from his neck, entangling into her hair strands. Ember brought his hands towards the necklace and tried to detangle it. She looked at his face as he sat on her stomach, trying to detangle her frizzy curls from his silver thread.

"OYE!" The watchman shouted and Ember quickly turned back. The hair tore away from Rhea's head, "Abe oye!" She held her head.
"Oh shoot," Ember looked at a small bunch of hair now hanging on his necklace, "...Rip,"
"Dude, you're an idiot or what?" Rhea got up as she rubbed her head. She sat on the floor while the watchman yelled at Ember in English, which evidently looked difficult for him so he gave up within a minute of trial and error. Ember calmly looked at him.

"We are sorry, mister," He said.
"Okay. Don't do it again." The watchman said. It seemed like he wanted to say more but he didn't know how to translate it all. He gave Ember's phone back to him. Rhea looked at the small apple logo and looked at Ember, "You threw it?! It's a fucking iPhone!" 
"Eh?"

"Rich people," She shook her head. After the watchman was gone, Rhea tried getting up but as she did, she felt a striking pain in her foot, "Oh god, it hurts. Fuck!" She sat back again. Ember sat on his toes and removed her shoe. Her foot was swollen "Oh no, I guess no biking for a week now," Rhea bit her tongue "I am sorry, Rhea," He said as he looked at her foot.

She just stared at him. He seemed sad "I didn't wanted to hurt you,"
"You didn't hurt me. It's not your fault,"
"That's not what I meant. Anyways, how are you gonna go back home with that injury?" He asked. She smiled and brought her hands forward, "Gimme a piggy bag ride,"

Ember's eyes widened "So, you do remember?"

-To be continued

Can't I Touch Your Heart?
Teach Me The Art of Living