The grey canvas

📌Chapter 3- Loopholes

Having satisfied that her voice is back, she shouted aloud-
"AYAAAAAAAN....."

A tall, sleek boy of early twenties came running into the room. Once in, he threw scared glances at every possible direction. And when his sleepy eyes finally located Nitara in the balcony, he shouted back-
"Di? Are you okay??"

Nitara scrunched her nose. Her brows were already in mid temple. She tried to guess what was Ayan actually trying to say. But failing to decipher him, she asked innocently
"Yes, I am okay.... mujhe kya hoga Ayan?"

Ayan heaved a sigh of relief as he found Nitara in one piece. But then the question struck him. If she was completely fine then why was she shouting for him? Why did she wake him so early??
Putting his thoughts into words, he enquired Nitara about it.

Nitara gasped at his question.

"What do you mean by why I woke you up so early? Have you seen the watch Ayan? Its 9 already!" She squealed at him.

"Thats what I am saying di! Its ONLY 9!!!!! Ayan whinned like a baby.

"So when were you planning to wake up?"

"11? Yeah, that would have been better.." He answered as a matter of fact, which only led Nitara roll her eyes at him.

"11? You went to bed at 1 a.m right??"

"No, 3:30"

"And what were you doing for so long? Must be gossiping with that girlfriend of yours... isn't it Ayan?"

Ayan straightened up with her question and tried his best to shoo the sleep away from his semi opened eyes.
"First of all, the girl has a name. JANHAVI it is." He protested. "And secondly...... yes, I was gossiping with her. So whats your problem in this?"

Nitara's jaw dropped. Such audacity at such young age? She knew that Ayan was a sleep freak fellow and that when someone used to wake him up before time, he literally ate them alive. But that didn't mean he would talk to Nitara like that. It was rude and disrespectful.

"Ayan, you won't talk to me like that!" She warned him in a strict tone. Ayan opened his mouth for saying something, but realising it was his mistake this time, he shut himself down. Rather muttered an apology under his breathes.

"Sorry." Is what he said, with his head hanging low and eyes burried in the ground.

"You should be. Becoz you know this very fell that your elders don't say things thats gonna be bad for you!... sleep late and waking up late- is it even a proper routine that you follow? For god's sake Ayan, when will you understand that you are a would_be doctor and if you don't follow routines properly then how will you expect your patients to do the same?" She bursted upon the poor soul.

Ayan kept his head down.

Nitara melted away when he saw Ayan not answering her. It pinched her heart as she realised that shouting at him at such early morning was not commensable at all. She bit her lower lip as she cursed herself for the nth time.
She then went close to him and took him in her arms. She wrapped her petite limbs around his body and mumbled-
"I am sorry baby, I'm really really sorry... I shouldn't have scolded you like that!"

Ayan smiled a little. He knew his sister very well. She got angry every now and then, but could never retain that anger. Now that was something really sweet of her, untill she started crying with guilt.

And this time, before those precious tears could actually roll down her eyes, Ayan pulled her in a bone crushing hug and calmed the upcoming tsunami of tears with his words.
"You don't need to be sorry. You are my sister afterall! You can shout on me, beat me, punch me... or you can kill me too. I swear I won't mind. Becoz I love you too much to mind your behaviour....... infact, I am sorry. I misbehaved with you at such early morning. I am really sorry di. See, I am holding ears." He left her to hold his ears like a punished child. "I promise you di, from henceforth, I will listen to WHATEVER you say!" He said with a sad pout.