The small, white Neem flowers gathered at a corner of the street as Rhea and Nikki walked towards the exit gate of the school.
"A foreigner?!" Nikki exclaimed.
"Yes, he is an old friend. At least that what he says" Rhea rolled her eyes, "His name is Ember something whatever,"
Nikki gasped, "Blue eyes?"
"Yeah, he got blue eyes,"
"Blonde hair?"
"Yeah-"
"OH MY GOD! You have to introduce us!"
"Why?"
"I always wanted a blonde boyfriend!"
Rhea just looked at her, "You just want him because he is blonde?"
"And American,"
She shook her head, 'People are so...vile,'
"I'm not setting people up here!" Arorhea said, "Besides, I don't think we'll meet again,"
"Don't worry! Delhi is a mega city! As if he would ever find you among the all the nineteen million people living here!" Nikki said, "Though I wish he finds me, and then, we can start a blonde romance!" Her eyes sparkled, "Wait-How tall is he?"
"Pretty tall, actually. I think six feet-"
"I'll take his entire dick!"
"Ew! Nikki, you don't even know what kind of person he is. You're mistaking him for some god, I just think he's a con man,"
"I don't mind making mistakes...if they are hot,"
"Didn't you like Neel?" Arorhea asked.
"Man, I am a lover of art,"
"Neel's got pretty eyes,"
"Yeah, but Neel is not American, duh," Nikki said.
'In the end, that's all she cares about,' Rhea chewed her food.
"What's the weird obsession with America? I just don't get it," Rhea shook her head while eating her paratha.
"Don't worry about that. Just make sure you introduce me to him if you guys meet again,"
"As if we would meet again!"
. . .
"Holy fuck we did!"
"Wow! Hey there, Rhea," Ember pulled out the earphones from his ears as he stood on the footpath before the mall, with his back and right feet resting on a Neem tree behind him.
"Hi..." Rhea was half dead already. She never expected to meet him so soon and at such a place, "What are you doing here? Man, why are you always outside? Do you live on the streets?" She asked in Hindi.
He laughed, "No! I'm here to see you," He replied in English.
"At my crash course classes? How did you know where it was?" She asked, "You get creepier every passing second,"
"Oh! You have your classes over here? I never knew that. I just came here for the tree's shade and then I saw you so I thought I'd go over to you and say hi." He smiled.
'Oh fuck-I'm leaking personal information like an idiot to this creep!' Rhea thought.
It had been one week since they last met. Rhea still did not trust him enough to call him her friend or to be very friendly with him.
'Why is he here?' Is what Rhea thought as she looked at him standing in front of her.
Arorhea was always dressed in a simple sweatshirt and sweatpants, contrary to the fashion trends in South Delhi. Ember on the other side, seemed like he hired two stylists for him. He was someone who could wear a trash bag and rock it. He wore a black hoodie, upon which he put on a denim jacket with slim fit jeans.
Anyone who passed by him, at least turned once to have a proper look at this amazing masterpiece of nature and also to wonder how he hasn't died in New Delhi weather which was like a pre-heating oven.
"How are you not dead yet?" She looked at his outfit.
"I get cold easily,"
"...Bhai, it's like thirty two degrees,"
(Tn// Bro)
He laughed, "Bhai? Am I your brother now, Rhea?"
"Tch, boys na," She shook her head, "Bro, if I call you 'bhai' out of flow, I don't mean it, yaar,"
He laughed, "It feels awesome to actually watch people speak a language that you've been learning for a while,"
"Good for you. Chalo, I have a class. Bye" Arorhea said.
"It's okay. I'll wait" Ember smiled.
"Yeh picha nahi chodega," Arorhea whispered as she shook her head and left.
(He's not gonna leave me alone)
'He'll soon get tired of waiting and leave, no way he'll wait for two hours!'
. . .
By the evening, Rhea came out of the mall with her friends, Meenu and Arjun or AJ, who had known her since junior high. They used to sit together during the PE class and soon became friends. Their schools changed, but not their tuition.
It was sunset already and the weather was pleasant as the sun was gone.
"Bhai, Meenu is such a kameeni!" AJ said, "She ate all my momos. What a buffalo! And then she's like, "wHy dOn'T I lOsE wEiGht! I dO alL wOrkOutS oF ChOi tinG!" He was a foodie and his mom was a housewife who loved cooking for her son. Not because cooking was fun but because AJ was as thin as a phasmid, with long arms and a thin face, even though he ate a lot.
"Shut up, Arjun. Food doesn't do you any good either! Sala, chusa hua aam!" (Tn//Sucked Mango, used for lanky person, who is disproportionately thin) Meenu, a voluptuous woman, with an ass that was so huge, she occupied two thirds of the desk, leaving AJ one third of the seat to sit on. She was a foodie too, but always on diet because I swear to god, she could drink water and gain five kilos. Atleast that what she said. She had a round and red face.
"You both keep eating in the class," Arorhea walked in front of them, "And then you're like, "Sab sar ke upar se jaa raha hai," (Tn// I cannot understand anything) It's because you do not listen!"
"Doesn't do any good even if I do listen," AJ said.
"You say that because anyways you attend that class to kill time" Meenu said.
"I killed four flies while sitting back there-Don't you dare question my productivity!" Arjun said. Meenu and AJ started arguing and Rhea looked away.
She looked at that tree where Ember was standing and then suddenly her feet stopped. Under the dim street light, a flowerist sat preparing a bouquet of orchids while Ember sat beside him, looking into his phone with his earphones plugged in.
Arorhea fixed her gaze on Ember. Meenu and AJ stopped and looked at her. AJ traced her eyes and looked at Ember "And that kids, is how I met your dad," He said. They were doing that one thing which every friend was good at-Teasing! Oh! What a useless talent it is! It's a sadistic pleasure-One of its kind.
Rhea turned towards him, "Matlab, kuch bhi?" (Tn// Like literally anything?)
"Man, but he is hot," Meenu said, "There are a lot of foreigners in this area these days,"
"It's becoming the second Cannaught place," Rhea said.
Meanwhile, AJ sang the love theme from Sagar movie in the background.
"Come here!" Meenu grabbed him and began kicking him. Ember heard the commotion and looked up.
"Tch! Fuck!" Rhea hit her face with her hands.
"Rhea!" He called out. She slowly moved her hands away. He walked towards her and crossed his hands behind him. He leaned towards her and looked into his eyes.
"W-What?" She moved away.
"You're ten minutes late" He said with a smile.
"No, we'll I-Wait- Why do you care?! Why do I need to give an explanation to you?!"
"She's right! Who you? Why you?" AJ stood between them, "He your boyfriend?"
"AJ!" Rhea whispered,
"Calm down, my daughter!" AJ smiled and Meenu slapped him on his face.
"How about you stop embarassing her?!" Meenu pulled him away. Ember giggled and then looked at Meenu with a friendly smile, "Hello, you're her friend?"
"Y-Yes, hello!" Meenu said nervously in English "You're a foreigner, right? It's my first time seeing one from so close!"
"Hell yeah" AJ stood beside them and compared their heights, "Few inches more, tsk!"
Ember began laughing. "It's okay, short guys are cute too"
"If only the ladies think that," AJ shook his head.
"Hey, how do you know Arorhea?" Meenu asked.
"Yeah, spill the beans" AJ said.
"We're childhood friends," Ember turned towards her.
"Bhai, she made her setting in childhood only. That is why I'm single. My dad threw me in an all boys school in the very beginning. Rhea has grown up with blondies while I've grown up with haramis" AJ said.
Arorhea shook her head and went to unlock her bicycle.
"So, what's your name?" Ember asked.
"Meenu Dagar" Meenu said with a smile. "Arjun Jadishwar. I know it's lame, just call me AJ, bro" AJ shook hands with Ember.
"I'm Ember Helberg," Ember saw Rhea sit on her bicycle. "I'll go now guys. It was nice to meet you" Ember said.
"Bye" Meenu said and Ember kissed her cheek "Bye" He said with a smile. Meenu froze and died from inside. AJ gave a high pitch screech.
"Brother! This is India! What the fuck! No skinship!" AJ shouted as Ember ignored him and walked towards Arorhea. "Hey, wait up, I'm coming too, Rhea!" Ember said.
"Why?" Rhea asked as she looked into his eyes.
"What?" Ember stared back.
"Why did you wait for so long? In fact, how could you wait for so long?"
"Oh this? This is nothing as compared to–" Ember was about to say something when he stopped.
"Compared to what?" Rhea asked.
"No spoilers" He said as she crossed his fingers over his smile.
"Weirdo. Are you writing a book or something?" Rhea asked.
"Yes, you are the protagonist" Ember smiled, "Also, can you give me lift? I don't know how go home,"
"Take a bus" Arorhea said.
"Which one?"
"Where do you live?"
"Just nearby"
Rhea took a deep breath and looked at him, "Fine, hop up, I'm not waiting anymore"
"Thank you!"
Arorhea started paddling with a lot of effort as they went up the bridge and after a few seconds she stopped and turned back "Abe! Kis chakki ka atta khata hai tu bhai?! Itna bhari!"
(Tn// What the hell do you eat?! You're damn heavy!)
"I think I've put on some weight since I came to India. The food is too good, I can't stop eating," Ember laughed.
"This isn't funny, Ember!" She said.
He smiled and looked away, "I love your lips when they say my name,"
"DUDE, YOU PADDLE!" Rhea got down.
He took the bicycle from her and she sat behind him. As he went downhill, the cool evening breeze passed through his clothes, spreading his scent in the air. Rhea pressed her nose on his back.
It was the time of early spring in the country of India and while paddling through the golden and orange streets which were lit by the evening sun, Ember could feel the warm and sweet scented spring breeze.
They could hear a thousand blended notes from the birds on the trees producing a harmony. Spring had the power to evolve thoughts.
"Come to think of it, I still can't believe how the hell did you recognize me?" Rhea asked.
"I remembered your face. Your face hasn't changed a lot," He said.
"...You remember a face you saw ten years ago?"
"I'm different," He laughed.
"Then, why did you hand me that paper with your number?"
"I wanted to see if you're the same Rhea I knew from ten years back. And guess what, you haven't changed,"
"Goddamn! I messed up right in the beginning!" Rhea said.
"What?"
Suddenly, his phone rang. He stopped the bicycle and looked at the caller's name, "I'll be there" He hung up.
"Sorry Rhea, seems like I've gotta go. Well, see you!" He got down near some old ruins of buildings that once were well inhabited.
"You're getting down here?" Rhea asked.
"Yes, I will walk from here,"
"You live close by?"
"Kinda,"
"Alright. Take care," She said and quickly paddled away while Ember waved at her and shouted, "Bye bye Rhea!"
He looked at her till she disappeared in the traffic. "Now then," A Bugatti stopped right behind him and the driver opened the door to the car, "Sir,"
He turned back, "Your father is very angry,"
- To be continued
Ember Helberg
Can't I Touch Your Heart?