Can't I Touch Your Heart?

Chapter 48 Has The Love Died?

No matter how cool it seems to others, in the end, Hyperthymesia is a disease and it will have side effects as you grow. This is what Jack had told him when Ember was merely twelve. At that time, Ember didn't really understand how such a gift would affect him. But now, he did.

Hyperthymesia is a condition that is always misunderstood by the person's remarkable ability to remember. Nobody bothers looking at the other side of the coin. The patient remembers everything about their life, everything. There's a reason why we were made forgetful beings to a certain extent. Traumatic memories cause mental stress and lead to depression.

"But, what about the pain I feel in my body?"
"Yeah, that," Jack looked into the paper, "That is something physical, not mental. Seems like post-surgery complications,"
"What? It's only been four years since then,"
"I'm sorry, Ember. You need to consult a physician for that,"

Ember looked into Jack's eyes and then looked away. He looked at the walls like they were the last thing he would ever see. He smiled to himself "It's okay. I'm used to hospitals,"

"Does Arorhea know about your medical history?" Jack asked.
"I won't tell her,"
"But that's not a solution to your problems, Ember-"
"I'm the problem, Jack. I'm always the problem!" Ember shouted and Jack stared at him.
"Every time I tell myself that I'm fine, I'm not! All I want is normal life away from doctors or pills," Ember complained.

Jack looked at Ember. An Ember that wasn't smiling. An Ember that was angry. He was happy Ember was letting it all out, "How would you explain this anger,"
"I'm not angry! I'm in pain!" He slammed his hand on the table, "I'm always in pain! I feel like I'm screaming but no one is able to hear me. As long as I was hurting myself it was fine," He looked at the wall "But now I'm hurting everybody,"

"No you aren't," Jack consoled him.
"Not yet,"
"You won't hurt anybody, Ember"

"Oh, I definitely will. It's starting to go downhill again, my body. I don't want another surgery, I'm just so tired...Sometimes, I really wish it kills me rather than torture me every day like this. Somedays, I really wanna die, but the others, I think of people I'll be leaving behind if I do, and then I don't wanna die, but I...Really can't seem to love life anymore,"

"It's funny how Ember who used to love life is now afraid of it," Jack smiled.
"Because death is scary and it's approaching. Slowly, but surely,"
"We're all fated to die, Ember. You'll be okay. We should get you treated before it's too late,"

"No, I don't want to. I'm not going through that again, okay?"
Jack looked at Ember as he rose. He turned towards the door and walked towards it. He stopped at the door "Jack, thank you for coming here, happy vacations,"

"Thank you,"

. . .

Rhea reached home and Mrs Laghari saw the drenched floor "What happened?"
"I fell in a fountain. Actually, I was playing inside it,"
"Why? Is land getting less to play now?" Mrs Laghari said sarcastically.
"Sometimes, it is," Rhea went inside her room and closed the door. She looked at the balcony and walked towards it.

She pressed the drawing book on the canvas stand and arranged the paint and paintbrushes. That beautiful glass paintbrush, looking like a diamond. Rhea kissed it gently, "Make me a miracle, Ember," She whispered. She dipped the brush into a velvety shade of red and pressed it on the canvas.

The next day, Rhea went to the crash course centre. Finally, Ember had shown his face in class after a week! She punched his head and pushed him aside while sitting beside him. He pressed his head, "Yeah, my dad gave me some work to do," He explained himself. 

"Bade log," AJ said.
(Tn// Hindi pun used in place of the English idiom for people who are seen once in a blue moon)

"I was busy with a new anime project. It was an important one and we've invested a lot on the designing-"
"Bade log badi batein," Rhea commented.
(Tn// Bade Log points to the people in the higher society and a richer status and it is said that those people speak egoistic words in front of normal society people that are beyond comprehension for the normal society people)