Not My Little Sister

Chapter 18 - Gene pool

Vinaya seethed with frustration. Nithin's mother, was discussing the prospect of him meeting a girl for marriage. His only grievance seemed to be the reluctance to change his job, and it ignited a spark of indignation in Vinaya.

Irritated, she acted impulsively, sinking her teeth into his thigh. "Ouch!" he exclaimed, the pain evident in his voice.

"What happened, mone?" She heard his mother ask him with concern.

"I... something sharp..." Nithin fibbed.

Vinaya, glared at him at first, but then she smiled, her hand delicately resting on his thigh. She noticed his eyes widen,and his breath hitch, before he veiled his reaction behind a facade of calm indifference. She knew the effect she was having on him, and he deserved what she was putting him through. Slowly, her fingers traced an upward path towards his groin.

"Vinaya!" he gasped, catching her off guard. He quickly cleared his throat and composed himself. "Vinaya, amma is on the phone. Do you want to say hi?"

Flustered and now acutely aware of the unexpected turn, she nodded as he handed her the phone. "Hello, Aunty!" she greeted, walking to the living room. Seating herself on the neglected futon, she continued, "How are you, aunty? I haven't seen you in so long!"

"Yes, mole, I miss hearing about Mohan when I call. How is he doing?" She inquired.

"He's doing great. Really happy in Bangalore," Vinaya replied with a smile.

"That's the thing with these boys, isn't it? They get so content, and marriage is the last thing on their minds," Nithin's mother sighed, her concern evident.

"Nithin is 28 now. He's turning down every proposal that comes his way. We're running out of options for him. We just don't want him to end up with some..." She halted abruptly, changing the direction of her words.

"Why don't you talk some sense into him? Starting a company is not easy, and New York is so expensive. He's intelligent, he could easily get a good job elsewhere and have some financial stability. We hate to see him struggle so much," she confided in Vinaya, a mix of worry and genuine care coloring her words.

Vinaya couldn't help but frown. She was aware of Nithin's family's affluent background, and it perplexed her that they wouldn't offer him support if they were genuinely concerned about his well-being.

Almost as if sensing Vinaya's thoughts, his mother chimed in, "We don't want to indulge him. If we just give him money, he will not let go of this nonsense."

"Aunty," Vinaya began, her tone measured, "you mentioned he's smart, didn't you? Trust me, he wouldn't be pursuing this unless he wholeheartedly believed in it."

"You're too young to understand. What's your age now? 21? 22?" Nithin's mother asked.

"22," Vinaya replied, guessing the familiar direction this conversation would take whenever her age came up.

"Your mother mentioned you want to be in the US. We know this nice boy in Houston. Doing his residency in Radiology. Let me see if he can meet you in New York," Nithin's mother suggested, already scrolling through her contacts.

"Aunty, no," Vinaya interjected. "I need to know where I'll end up first."

"It works the other way around, Mole. You choose the guy, and then you choose your higher studies where he is. Many colleges, but only one right person for you!" she declared with a wide smile, causing Vinaya to feel flustered.

Nithin joined her on the futon, and Vinaya, holding the phone to include both of them in the conversation, felt a subtle brush of his arm against hers.

"I was just telling her to talk some sense into you," Nithin's mother began addressing him. "You aren't getting any younger, and you are unemployed. There's a good girl from our community who wants to marry you. At least talk once to her uncle."