Not My Little Sister

Chapter 5 - Missed

Okay, she thought. How much had he had to drink? She was a little nervous. He was huge. There was no way she could fight him off if he tried something. But half her mind wanted him to do something to her. He was walking towards her, his eyes not leaving her face.

When he reached the futon, he paused. "Let me set it up for you," he said in his deep voice, clearing his throat.

With a graceful and gentle touch, he effortlessly converted the futon into a bed. "Thanks, chetta," Vinaya mumbled as she watched his silhouette disappear into his room.

Vinaya read a few chapters of her book and started to doze off. She hadn't brushed her teeth or changed. She picked up her pajamas and walked into Nithin's room, using her cell phone as a flashlight. His lights were off, and in the warm radiance of the city lights, she could make out his form. He was lying on his stomach, shirtless. Her heart raced.

She didn't know what made her do it, probably the alcohol in her veins, but she got closer to him. His face looked almost angelic in his sleep, his beard trimmed to just a stubble. Did she imagine it, or had he briefly opened his eyes before closing them again?

She quickly tiptoed into the bathroom, changed into her pajamas, and climbed into her futon, falling asleep almost instantly.

She woke up first the next day and decided that since he had cooked the last several meals, she would take a turn and make breakfast for the two of them.

She rummaged through his limited pantry and refrigerator. Finding whole wheat flour, onions, green chilies, and lemons, she decided to make godhambu dosa (whole wheat crepe) with a side of onion chutney.

She had brought tea powder with her from India and prepared ginger tea.

When she was almost done cooking, the giant entered the kitchen. Though he didn't literally occupy all of the space, his presence surely did. He was at least three feet away, but Vinaya felt the warmth radiating from him.

Nithin couldn't believe his eyes. Vinaya was cooking for them. The sight was a cure for his hangover. It had been a long while since he had had someone cook for him. His parents hadn't visited since the pandemic and he been eating take out or cooking as he was living by himself.

"What are you making?" he asked her, taking in her image. She was in her pajamas, and her hair was put up in a messy bun with loose strands framing her face.

In response, she offered him a cup of tea after filtering it through a sieve.

"Thanks," he said, taking a sip. "Mmmm, really good." He closed his eyes. Was it really worth it? He had been struggling for over a year now, and he was starting to lose faith in his vision.

He missed home. He missed family. He missed human connection. Somehow, sipping his tea with Vinaya, he felt as though he was finally home.

Vinaya smiled at him, "Don't get used to it."

She served the dosa with chutney, and they sat opposite each other.

"So ready for tomorrow?" Nithin ventured.

"Yeah, can't wait," she said, though inside, she was nervous and apprehensive. A lot of things cinched on this.

Despite taking classes and watching multiple videos on expectations and performance during clinical rotations, she was still nervous and apprehensive. Old insecurities about not being smart enough resurfaced from time to time.

"I'm sure you'll do great," he said, gobbling up both the dosas in two minutes while she had taken just a few bites of hers. Then, he looked at her expectantly, and she burst out laughing.