Not My Little Sister

Chapter 3- Welcome to New York

While Lisa interacted with Nithin, a subtle irritation crept into Vinaya. She concluded that this was likely his girlfriend. She was definitely pretty but she seemed older—maybe even older than Nithin.

Vinaya reminded herself it was none of her business whether she was older than him or not. Maybe she should go to the balcony for a bit, she thought.

"Mmmmm," Lisa's voice interrupted her musing, "I wish I could hire you as my personal chef."

Vinaya rolled her eyes at the cliché remark, glancing at Nithin. Was he slightly uncomfortable, or was it her imagination?

Nithin watched as Vinaya yawned and stretched
"Vinaya, don't sleep now or you'll be jetlagged for a long time. Try to stay awake at least until 7 pm," he advised.

He struggled to maintain focus with Lisa's unwelcome presence. A past mistake hung over him, and he was left with the consequences of a one-night stand that had become uncomfortably clingy.

Though she has no context, Vinaya sensed his discomfort, got up from her sofa and approached the living room side of the kitchen counter. Somehow she found it easy to understand him, almost instinctual. "Is it nearly done?" she asked, her stomach audibly growling.

"Yeah, grab your plate. Cabinet over the sink," Nithin replied, not meeting her gaze. He served her pasta, which seemed to consist mostly of chicken and mushrooms with a scattering of pasta shells. She frowned.

"Why is there so much meat in it?" she inquired.

"Protein, doc," he responded with a straight face. "I don't need a lot of carbs, do you?"

Vinaya sighed inwardly. Of course, she thought, pasta wasn't the healthiest choice, and this seemed to be Nithin's protein-rich twist on it.

Nithin noticed that Vinaya hadn't touched her pasta, prompting a touch of concern. Did she not eat pasta? Or perhaps she avoided meat? Uncertain, he asked, "Won't you eat?"

"Yeah, I'm waiting for you," she replied, a simple statement that unexpectedly made his heart flutter. No one had waited for him before eating in the recent past.

After serving himself, he offered Lisa some pasta. "Nah, I already ate," she confessed. Lisa looked at both of them and shrugged. "I'll get going then."

She extended her hand to Vinaya before leaving and shook it. "Nice to meet you, Vin-aa-ya," she said, stretching the middle syllable of her name.

As they ate, Vinaya couldn't resist asking, "So, how long have you guys been dating?"

Nithin shrugged, uninterested in delving into the complexities of his relationship. The sounds of traffic outside filled the ensuing silence.

"Will your parents be okay with you marrying an American?" she inquired further.

He dropped his fork onto his plate, locking eyes with her.

"They will only be okay with me marrying a Namboothiri Brahmin girl. Does that answer your question?" His eyes bore into her as though daring her to push further.

Vinaya swallowed hard, murmuring a small "sorry."

Nithin's face softened. He realized that his frustration wasn't directed at Vinaya. The pressure from his parents to marry had been an ongoing source of stress since he had turned twenty seven.

Despite finding a girl from Hyderabad he had liked, his parents rejected the idea of an intercaste alliance, insisting that he only marry a Namboothiri Brahmin.

In defiance, he had rejected all subsequent proposals, even though he couldn't deny the loneliness that crept in.

"No, it's fine," Nithin mumbled. "See, I'll not interfere with your life if you don't interfere with mine, capisce?" he proposed.