Can't I Touch Your Heart?

Chapter 50 I Will Choose You

Rhea heard a huge explosion from her balcony, a loud noise of glass shattering to pieces and voices of shouting people. Rhea and Jessica looked at each other and then quickly rushed towards their balcony. She found Noor and her cousin, Kabir, standing on the balcony with a plastic bottle in their hand, trying to blow a firework into the sky.

The glass window of Neel's room, which was right in front of their balcony, was broken and Neel stood at his balcony eating a fruitcake.

"Noor!" Rhea shouted and grabbed his collar.
"Didi! It was Kabir's idea!" Noor protected himself.
"What the hell happened here? How did this window break?" Neel asked.

"The rocket was defective. Instead of flying, it just exploded and due to its impact, the glass broke," Noor explained.
"I don't care. Pay me before mom breaks down on me," Neel turbed back.
"Neel, you didn't get hurt, right?" Rhea asked.
"Not really," Neel walked inside his room.

Meanwhile, Ember sat in his office and read a magazine.
"What is that magazine you keep reading? You've been reading it for a few days now," Ember hid his face behind the magazine as his eyes smiled at Madison "It's a secret"

"Is that so?" Madison chuckled. Slowly, a week passed by. Rhea even wrote a text to Ember, asking him about what Miranda had told her, "Why he couldn't run?"
"Well," He wrote, "I had a little surgery for some abdominal deformity in my childhood, I couldn't really run after that, that's why she said that," He replied.
"Are you okay now?"
"As good as a racehorse!"

She was relieved, "What was that abdominal deformity?"
"..I don't know. They never told me what it is called, but it's fixed now, so don't worry,"
"Okay, if you say so,"

As the trees turned from green to orange, like barren, cold lands, winter set in Delhi. October ended and finally it was November first, Diwali and Rhea's birthday, both clashed on this day.

(Diwali is a Hindu festival with lights, held in the period October to November. It is particularly associated with Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity, and marks the beginning of the financial year in India. It includes praying, dressing up in new clothes, eating lots of sweets and burning firecrackers)

"Finally, it's Diwali," Jessica was dressed up in a black and golden traditional attire. Rhea, on the other hand, wore a velvet-golden lehenga.
(Lahenga is a full ankle-length skirt worn by Indian women, usually on formal or ceremonial occasions)

Noor and Kabir changed into old clothes after the prayer. They started lighting the firecrackers while Rhea and Jessica sat at a distance and watched them.
"It's so boring to just watch," Rhea said to herself.
"Last time, you almost got yourself burned so aunty told me to keep a close eye on you. Sit here and don't move," Jessica narrowed her eyes at Rhea and walked inside the building.

Soon, among the smell of smoke, she could smell a similar scent. Probably, one of her favourite scents. And as she raised her head up, she saw Ember. He was dressed up in a traditional white sherwani, embroidered with pearls. His blonde hair had a side part and was held as a side puff with a hair clip made of pearls.

(Sherwani is a knee-length coat buttoning to the neck, worn by men from South Asia)

"Ember!" She got up.
"Hey-"
She grabbed his hand and dragged him inside the parking, "Why did you come here?!" She yelled. The music and the voices of crackers bursting all around and the fireworks made it hard to listen, "EMBER?" Jessica yelled as she looked at him.

"Oh no,"
"HOW ARE YOU, BABY?!" She hugged him and took him inside, "Uncle, aunty, see, my white friend is here to greet us!"
Mr and Mrs Laghari looked at Ember, "Who is that boy?" Mr Laghari asked.
Ember joined his hands, "Namaste," He smiled.
"Namaste,"

"It's the golden-haired boy your mom used to talk about," Mrs Laghari recognised him immediately, "He has grown so tall,"
Ember smiled at her and greeted her, "Come, eat with us," She gave him a laddoo. He ate it, "It's so good,"
"I made these," Mrs Laghari said, proudly, "You want more?"
"Yes,"

Rhea was surprised.
Her family didn't mind him being there. In fact, they looked elated to see a foreigner so interested in their culture that he wore their traditional attire. Mrs Laghari was busy feeding him puris, halwa, sweets, kheer, everything she had made that day. And he seemed to enjoy the food, "I always wanted to eat authentic Indian meal from an Indian mom," He laughed.

"Oh my God, if you like it so much, I can cook for you every day,"
"Ahem," Mr Laghari sat before the dining table, "Where is my food?"
"Everything is in the kitchen, go get it. Ember, should I get you more kheer?"
Rhea and her dad stared at Mrs Laghari. She was treating Ember as her son who returned from the army after a year. Soon, the entire dining table was full of food, naans, Gulab Jamun, different lentils, different types of laddoos, and milk drinks.

"We were never treated so well," Mr Laghari said, "Your mom has gone insane after that boy,"
Rhea laughed nervously as she served food to him.
"I'm pretty stuffed, so I'll stop here," Ember looked at his oily fingers. 

"What? But you ate so less!"
"Less?" Mr Laghari said in Hindi, "I would finish all that food in three days,"
But she gave him a look and he decided to be quiet after that.  Then, she smiled and gave a bowl of hot water, "Wash your hands, dear,"

"Thanks, aunty. I really liked you cooking,"
"Come again whenever you want," 
Mr Lahari didn't seem to like that idea but he didn't say anything after looking at his wife's glare. 
"On Christmas, please do have dinner with my family," He smiled.
"I'd love to!"

Ember and Rhea walked down the stairs, "I ate so much, my stomach is all bloated,"
"What a glutton,"
"Hey, I don't get to enjoy food like that every day. Now come with me, I've prepared something for you,"

He held her hand.

"Right now?" She asked.
"It'll just take a moment. Let's go,"
She looked back, "Marawaega tu, chal, let's go,"
(Tn//You're gonna get me killed, come, let's go)

They quietly escaped among the crowd and smoke. Chuck was waiting for them outside their society. Rhea and Ember quickly got inside the car.
Mrs Laghari kept all the dishes in the sink, "Wasn't he so sweet?"
"We barely know him, you really should be more careful with strangers," Mr Laghari said.
"He's just a fifteen-year-old boy, honey,"

"Rhea shouldn't be around boys, though. 
Otherwise, people will question our morality. Tell her not to get him here again,"

-To be continued

Maple Helberg
Can't I Touch Your Heart?