Not My Little Sister

Chapter 2 - The Giant

In the following months, Vinaya dedicated countless hours to her studies, aiming to leave an indelible mark during her Clinical Rotations in the city of New York. She researched intriguing activities and must-visit locales for the impending weekends.

Finally, the eagerly anticipated day dawned. She stood with her bags in the airport and her brother, arrived along with her parents to bid her farewell. "Remember my words," he murmured tenderly into her ear.

She rolled her eyes but nodded. Among the select few granted the authority to influence her decisions, her brother's guidance held a special place. "Don't you worry about me. I'll be more than okay."

She put on her N95 mask and her blue tooth headphones and was engulfed in Taylor Swift's 'Look What You Made Me Do.'

She was intrigued by Nithin, the Chief Operating Officer of 'Listen to Me,' an engineering firm. Though they had spent many a childhood summers together, they had lost touch for about a decade except through Mohan's tales about his life in the US.

Her imagination conjured visions of his apartment, akin to the penthouse in Fifty Shades of Grey. She felt drawn to the magnetism of powerful men and his rugged masculine appearance intrigued her further.

Though she stood at a petite 5'2", Vinaya's presence commanded attention. Despite her good looks and popularity, not many men asked her out. Their hesitation was rooted in the fear of rejection and potential ridicule.

She had recently ended a relationship with Amit Singh, a Punjabi ophthalmology resident. She hadn't thought he was worth fighting for and had ended it when she realized that he was starting to develop feelings for her.

After a transcontinental journey with a layover in Qatar, Vinaya, now in New York, activated her roaming and called Nithin.

"Hello!" A deep voice greeted her.

"This is Vinaya, Mohan's sister. I'm here." She stated, she couldn't keep the excitement out of her voice.

"Text me your terminal and gate number. I'll come and get you," he smoothly declared, his accent treading the line between American and Indian.

'Hot,' she mused internally, swiftly reprimanding herself. 'He's like your brother. Cool it.'

Moments later, he materialized before her eyes. Towering at over 6 feet, he exuded a colossal presence, akin to a giant in her perception. A man bun and a neatly trimmed beard adorned him, two features she harbored disdain for in men. "Good," she thought, fortifying her defenses.

With a friendly wave and a warm smile, she greeted him. Yet, he approached with a stoic demeanor, devoid of a reciprocal smile.

Nithin couldn't shake the notion that Mohan's sister looked more like a child than the grown woman he had envisioned in her 20s. He effortlessly hoisted her luggage and realized he could have lifted her just as easily.

While he loaded her bags into his second-hand Prius, a bold voice, surprisingly astute for a "little girl," questioned, "That's your car?"

Caught off guard, he turned to face her. "Yeah," he affirmed, a tinge of surprise coloring his response.

She fell silent, and he felt a twinge of irritation. What had she expected?

Had she not been Mohan's sister, he would never have agreed to this intrusion into his cherished personal space. He placed immeasurable value on his privacy. However, he owed a debt of gratitude to Mohan, who had sheltered him for several months during the nascent stages of his startup.

"We've reached," he announced as the car halted near a towering brick walled high-rise. Gallantly, he opened the door for her and circled the car to retrieve her luggage once more.