Can't I Touch Your Heart?

Chapter 19 It's Raining Goldmohurs

"Get me some good fabric, here's the money" Jessica pressed some hundred rupee bills into Rhea's palms and closed them tightly.
"Wait, I?" Rhea said, "We're not gonna, you know, accompany you?"
"I'll see you in the evening at this place, be here at five. You have five hours,"

"But can I roam around the market alone?" Rhea asked.
"Ember will be with you, what do you mean "alone"?" Raj said.
Rhea turned and looked at Ember. He was looking around, fascinated by all the colour and the crowd. Everyone was staring at him, his golden mane and blue eyes.

"He's attracting a lot of attention. I don't want to go with him," Rhea turned back only to find that Jessica and Raj were gone, mingled in the crowd. 
"SERIOSULY?! YOU'RE AN ADULT! BE A BIT RESPONSIBLE!" Rhea shouted. Ember looked at her.
"Where's Jessica?" He asked.
"She ditched us,"

"So, are we gonna spend the rest of the day together?" Ember smiled.
"We need to buy her some fabric" Rhea informed him. He seemed excited.
"Then, let's get right into it! I saw something awesome in that shop!" He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the crowd. And from there, the magic begun.

Vibrant colours covered every corner of the street, the sun shone overhead and people passed through them. The fabric around ranged from five hundred rupees per meter to fifty thousand rupees. The Banaras Silk Beige Silk Brocade, Patola weave on pure cotton, fabric beautified with Ajrakh block printing, Batiks dominating the floral fabrics.

Certain craftsmen took portions of fabric tied around a pebble and then dipped it into a dye. Unwinding which when dry revealed its beautiful patterns, making the Bandhani fabric. Some other craftsmen were drawing Kalamakari on fabrics, the motifs depicted stories and characters from Indian mythology and culture, as well as floral and animal prints. The colour, the energy, the people, everything was so overwhelming. 

They ran from shop to shop, feeling the fabrics, the hues in the air like all the colours of Holi were solidified into a free spirit which took the form of a fabric, waving like American flags in the warm breeze of May. Ember recorded the bedlam of shouts around with his phone and finally turned the camera towards Rhea who was eating a strawberry and chocolate flavored ice treat. He put the phone away and looked at her.

"What? I was hungry," She said.
He smiled while looking at her.
"I want to eat that too,"
"Follow me then!"

She took him to a street vendor and he decided to take a mango and blue raspberry flavored ice treat. She looked at his yellow and blue coloured ice treat, "Looks like you," She laughed.
"How?" He looked at it.
"Yellow, white, blue," She said, "Oh wait, have you ever eaten a Mango mess?"
"I'm afraid I haven't even heard of that,"

"Come with me," She walked into a sweet shop while feeding on the cold treat. Ember mimicked her eating style. She got him a Mango mess with was quite literally a Mango pudding. He took a spoonful of it and pressed it into his mouth. He closed his eyes, "Heaven," He said, with the plastic spoon sticking on his tongue.
She laughed, "It's too sweet for me. I prefer spicy stuff. You can enjoy that, I'll get some buttermilk,"

"Oh, I definitely will," He took another spoonful of it. The shopping bags lay in a corner as they both sat on a bench near a park, under the shade of Goldmohur trees, blooming into a beautiful orange hue. The flower gently fell on the grey street as they sat on a reddish orange bench, Ember ate his treat and Rhea took sips of her buttermilk. 

"Ember," She mumbled once she finished her drink.
"Yeah?" He turned towards her.
"I painted something," She smiled.
Ember laughed "Really?"
She noticed how he laughed when he was too happy. It was cute, she liked it. It seemed like it was difficult for him to conceal his pleasure after witnessing trivial details of life.