Not My Little Sister

Chapter 33 - First Night

The last of the relatives bid their farewells and departed. Vinaya turned her gaze towards her brother and detected a flicker of concern in his eyes.

Why hadn't he intervened to halt the unfolding events? And more importantly, why hadn't she found the strength to defy the tide of fate?

Her mother gave her a tray with two glasses of turmeric milk, which she accepted with trembling hands. As she began to ascend the staircase, Nithin followed closely behind. The outside world faded into a distant murmur.

Vinaya felt the tension crackling in the air with every step she took. Despite the silence that enveloped them, she was acutely aware of Nithin's presence; the warmth emanating from his body, the light hum of his breathing, the weight of his gaze that bore down upon her.

He finally side stepped her, opening the door for her to enter her childhood bedroom. She set the tray delicately on the bedside table.

She approached her dresser, and reached to remove her earrings. She felt the gentle touch of Nithin's hands against her hair, sending a jolt of awareness through her veins. She hadn't felt his tenderness in so long that she stood stunned, like she was frozen in place. He pushed her hair aside exposing her neck. Her senses heightened, every nerve electrified by his proximity.

Before she could turn around, she felt his lips press a kiss to the nape of her neck. She gasped, dropping her earrings to the floor. She turned to face him, her heart thudding in her chest. She felt a deep yearning for him rise in the pit of her stomach.

She took a step back as his presence filled her senses. Nithin placed his hands on either side of her on the dresser, effectively trapping her in his embrace.

"Nithin," she breathed, her mind swirling with a whirlwind of jumbled thoughts and memories. The electricity that coursed through the air between them made every hair on her body stand up.

Her gaze met his, finding his eyes ablaze with desire. Yet, the smirk that adorned his lips snapped her back to her senses, reminding her of the reality of their situation.

"What the fuck are you doing?" she asked, her voice more breathless than she had intended. She placed her hands on his chest, pushing him away.

Nithin took a few steps back, their eyes locked in a silent exchange of years of longing, hurt, and betrayal. He briefly narrowed his eyes before turning around.

Vinaya resumed her task at the dresser, freeing herself from her jewelry and hair clips. 'Just breathe,' she told herself, her heart still racing.

She watched him retreat to the bathroom, and heard the hum of the shower. Realizing she had some time to herself, she quickly removed her saree, standing now in her blouse and underskirt. Carefully, she began folding the six feet of silk.

She was in her second year of Pediatric Residency. She was at the hospital, just finishing her rounds, when her phone buzzed with an alert. It was the Google alert she had set up for 'Nithin Balachandran.' These alerts had become a form of torture, yet also the only thread that still connected her to him.

She made her way to the hospital cafeteria, her heart pounding with anticipation, and clicked the link.

Forbes' list of most eligible bachelors under forty. There he was, Nithin, eighth on the list. He was in a black tailored suit, a dark blue tie, silver cufflinks, sitting cross-legged on a chair. It had been a while since she had seen an article about him, the last one being about his company joining the multimillion-dollar club. In this picture, he was unbelievably handsome, clean-shaven, and could've passed for a supermodel. She felt the air rush out of her lungs.