"Why did you have the paintbrush Ember gave me?" Rhea asked Neel a few evenings later as both of them stood outside their balcony, enjoying the cold October breeze. Neel seemed dazed, not expecting her to identify that old item, "I really didn't know it was Ember's paintbrush. I just remembered that your grandma gave it to me, but I never used it. So, when I met you again. I gave it back to you,"

Why would her grandma give away her things? Things that could keep Ember's memory intact in her head? Rhea was lost in thoughts again after that, thoughts about her grandmother, whose face was unclear in her memories.

Meanwhile, Loraine, Maple and Ember sat in a saloon, getting a haircut. Ember and Maple played a video game while Loraine read a magazine.
"I lost again!" Ember wined and Maple laughed, "You can't beat me! Yeezy pro gamer man, gg ez, suck my ass!"
Loraine flipped a page of the magazine, suddenly remembering something out of the blue, "Did you take your new pills, Ember?" 

Ember looked at him, "No... I took one, it makes me feel weird,"
"Weird?" Maple and Loraine looked back at him, "What do you mean "weird"?"
"Like... I feel...weird,"

"You haven't been eating awfully much, maybe that's why," Loraine commented.
"What he said,"
Ember looked at his reflection in the mirror. The white mask covering his hair, "No, I feel like I'm...getting sexually attracted to Rhea,"

Loraine coughed.
"Oh, that's normal," Maple patted his shoulder, "I get a boner every morning,"
"No," Ember looked down, "It's not that,"
"Then, what to mean by "sexually attracted"?"
"I feel like...I can't be alone with her anymore or I might hurt her, even though I don't want to,"

"Ember," Maple looked at him gently, like an elder brother, "It is okay. You know you would never do anything to hurt her,"
"I know but," Ember looked at them, "This love is starting to manifest itself in a direction I do want to take it,"

"What are you going to do then?"
He looked at Loraine, "I don't know. I don't want to leave her, but I can't just be a friend anymore,"
"How about you confess then?" Maple proposed and Loraine gave him a menacing look, an eye of disapproval. Ember noticed it and took a deep breath.
"No,"

"Come on, if I were a girl, I'd happily get railed by you,"
"That's disgusting," Loraine rolled his eyes.
"You don't understand, it's not like I do not want to, I can't. Honestly, I'm afraid." He clenched the towel covering his thighs, Maple noticed that they were trembling "I don't want her to love me,"

. . .

By this time, Jack had set his feet on the land of the Great Indian subcontinent-He was actually a brunette by birth but he had dyed his hair platinum blonde and had very light blue eyes shining over his strong, brown tan after working in Africa for over three months. Ember had known Jack for five years when Jack was still pursuing his psychology degree. After graduation, Jack was now a professional psychologist and helped Ember cope with his post-surgery mental health. 

Jack stood on the airport, looking for a taxi. Finally, he found one rickshaw but when he turned back his suitcase was gone "What a humble way to welcome a guest,"
He turned towards the rickshaw driver "Let's go, bhaya," He got into the rickshaw.

(Here Jack tries to speak "bhaiya" a Hindi honorific for older males, literally meaning brother, but he pronounces it as "bhaya")

As they moved across the streets, Jack clicked various pictures with his phone. He would also ask him to stop at many places whenever anything would catch his eyes. It was mostly artificial jewellery "Do you have a blue earring? Matching my eyes?" He conversed in Hindi as he looked into his translator. He bought a cream colored kurta, hair ornaments and even bangles. He didn't care what it was-If it was useful or not-If it looked pretty, he picked it up. He even tried a hookah with the rickshaw puller. With Dussehra nearby, the market was decorated. He tried pani puri and finally sat back on the rickshaw. He asked the rickshaw puller to drop him before Nason's place.

After he reached there, he gave a $5 bill to the rickshaw puller and one of the kurtas' he had bought "Thank you for accompanying me, bhaya," He smiled and went towards the gate. 
"I'm here now, buddy,"

He walked inside, at a pebble path made of white and black stones, surrounded by a huge garden. And at the end of the path was the door to building-Door to Nason's reception. Suddenly, he saw some movement in the bushes.

"My bladder is bursting open!" Maple quickly ran towards the bushes and unzipped his pants to do the business. He relaxed when Jack peeped through his neck and couldn't resist the temptation to comment,

"Oh wow, Maple. You've grown," Maple looked at him and he looked at Maple. To Maple, he was muscular, half-naked, wore sunglasses and had wrapped a kurta around his waist with bangles in his hand. Maple turned to run but Jack held his waist and picked him up on his arms.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Maple shouted as he kicked his feet in the air. Jack ran inside the building with Maple on his shoulders.

             
Ember and Loraine were back from the saloon and were walking towards the reception when they saw the huge crowd gathered near the receptionist. They walked through the crowd and saw Jack. He had covered Maple's mouth and was accusing him of being an impersonator perverted freak who was trying to ruin Ember's good image by shoving his penis into the bushes.

"I say it's a conspiracy!" Jack formulated.
"Maple!" Ember shouted and Jack turned towards him.
"Ember!" Jack smiled and threw Maple aside. He hugged Ember and pressed his nose on Ember's hair "Yep, it's the real one. That guy stinks like a pig! I swear to God he doesn't shower!" Jack said.

"I just sweat a lot!" Maple shouted as he caught his breath while laying on the floor like trash.
"I'm just not very camaraderie" Loraine looked at Maple "Everyone get back to work!" The entire crowd disappeared within seconds.
"Loraine effect," Ember clapped.

"Another impersonator?" Jack turned towards Ember while pointing at Loraine.
"They are my brothers, idiot," Ember said, "Told you we were triplets,"
"You weren't joking?"
"Do you think this is a joke?"
"They look just like you!"

"Correction. He looks like me. My genes are dominant, I'm the eldest," Maple said. Jack walked towards him and pressed his hands on his shoulder "Don't worry, I'll treat you. Your disease looks fatal. Even your penis has shrunk,"
"Who is this guy?!" Maple frowned at Ember.

"My therapist," Ember said, "Dr Jackmequin S. Vermeil,"

"He's a pervert!" Maple shouted.
"Why?" Jack asked.
"Just look at your attire," Loraine pointed it out to him.
"Is it good?" Jack looked at himself.
"No, it isn't! Your fashion sense is disgusting" Loraine and Maple said together.

"Really? I like it," Ember smiled.
"Yep, he needs therapy," Loraine and Maple said together.
"Hey, I've seen the twin thing. Show me the triplet once," Jack ordered.
"Just cause we are triplets doesn't mean that we will speak--" Ember, Loraine and Maple said together and looked at each other.

"Well, this is interesting," Jack smirked.
"This is not. Hey, stop doing that! Don't speak anymore. Look what you started!" Three of them said and looked at Jack.
"Wow. It's producing harmony. You guys have like completely different voices,"
"Come with me" Ember grabbed Jack's hand and dragged him to his room.

"Could you please wear a normal T-Shirt?" Ember threw a shirt from his cupboard to Jack.
"I can't. Somebody stole my wheel bag at the airport. It had all my clothes" Jack wined.
"You're 22. Grow up already,"
"I'm mentally five. Wait-Ember, you three are triplets, right?"

"You are still asking that?"
"Then, that means your dicks match too?"
"...I...don't know. I don't want to know either,"
"Do you never compare sizes?"
"No? Who does that? Ew!"

Jack wore Ember's clothes and took out a beer can from the fridge in the kitchen.
"Oh, man! A glass of beer after a long day is all that a man needs," Jack cheered.
"You need a beer all the time, who are you kidding?" Ember looked at Jack as they stood on the balcony.
"I would love to have some drinks with you,"
"I can't drink before eighteen,"
"Can't you grow up faster?"
"I can't,"

Jack took a deep breath and looked at Ember "Now tell me" He asked, "What's the matter?"

-To be continued

Dr Jackmequin S. Vermeil
Can't I Touch Your Heart?