Can't I Touch Your Heart?

Chapter 18 Spring Is In Our Hearts

Neel snatched Arorhea's bag from her hand and threw it on the sofa. Soon, he returned from the kitchen with a half filled Rooh Afza bottle in his hand.
(Rooh Afza is a concentrated squash)
He turned on the tap and emptied the bottle into the bucket. Rhea tried to run away but he grabbed her hand. She tried to free herself but he was too strong.

And soon, he picked up the bucket and emptied the entire bucket on her head as she tried running out of the bathroom.
"OH MY GOD, MY UNIFORM!" She yelled.
"You reap what you sow!" He yelled back at her.
"SHUT UP! YOU DESTROYED MY ENTIRE UNIFORM!"
"BACK AT YOU, BITCH!"

She tried slapping him but he grabbed her hand, "Keep those meek hands for wearing bangles,"
She groaned as his grip tightened around her wrist, "Why are you such an ass?"
He left her hand,
"How am I an ass? You are the one who always attacks me first," He said, "And ew, you're so sticky and gross," He moved his fingers away from her, "Go home and take a shower. I'll take one too,"

He went into his room and got a towel. Rhea just looked at him. He was acting as if nothing had happened. He looked at her, "What? You wanna shower together or something?" He smirked.
"No!" She grabbed her bag and stomped out of his apartment, "Bye!"
He chuckled, "Fucking idiot,"

Once she was home, she quietly tiptoed her way into the shower and washed her uniform, "The stains aren't going away!" She groaned, "Mom is going to kill me!"
"Arorhea?! Why are your shoes wet?" Mrs Laghari shouted from outside. Rhea flinched, "I...I fell into a drain,"
"They smell like Rooh Afza,"
"WHY ARE YOU SMELLING MY SHOES, MOM!?"

"What are you doing in there? Open the door!"
"I'm not taking drugs!"
"OPEN THE DOOR!"
"I'm undressed!"
"I'M YOUR MOM!"
"SO?! THAT DOESN'T GIVE YOU THE 'WATCHING RHEA NAKED' PASS!"

"OPEN THE GODDAMN DOOR!"

. . .

In the evening, Rhea stood at her balcony with her reddish uniform hanging on the nylon ropes before her balcony. Neel stood at his balcony with a fruit yogurt in his hands, "Wow, can't really wear that uniform now, can we?" He taunted her.
"You just made my hands go through extra effort of trying to clean that," Rhea said.

"We can easily bring your hands to a better use," He looked at her.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"You like painting, don't you?" He asked. Rhea looked at him, "So?"
"One minute," He walked into his room and soon, brought a canvas stand with him, "You can take it. I don't need this anymore,"

He also had with him, a plexiglass case. She looked at his fingers and he pulled out a white, watercolour brush. It had white, silky bristles. The heel of the brush ended into a gold ferrule, ending into a glass handle. It looked beautifully crafted, "Why are you giving this to me? It looks very expensive,"
He smiled, "I makes me think of things I'd rather not think about,"
"Things like?"

He looked at her face, "Abandonment trauma,"
"What is that?"
"Something that will lead you to sabotage your relationships as a way to affirm your fears,"
"Huh?"

That night, Rhea lay on her bed and looked at the glass paintbrush. It looked delicate, as if it would break if she was not careful with it. The ferrule was shining golden. The canvas stand stood before her bed, peeping at her through the translucent curtains covering her window. She moved the her arms in the air as if she was painting on the clouds. She looked at the canvas stand, "Maybe, I should get a board,"

She kept the paintbrush inside the protective case and got up, jerking off her laziness. She applied a clay face mask on her face, "Tomorrow, I'll meet his crush!" She washed her hair, blow dried it and prepared her clothes for the next day. It was a white lace top and a light brown long skirt extending to her ankles, with black shoes. She knew he would dress up for his crush. Therefore, she wanted to make sure she looked good too! Wait, but it's Ember and his crush's date, why was she looking forward to it, she wondered. With these thoughts in her head, she soon fell asleep.