The little sister's curiosity

★ Asif's POV★

The morning sun wasn't as cruel as it's been recently . A soft breeze followed us as we walked down the narrow alleys of the market. My sling bag hung over my shoulder, already filled with Tithi's necessary shopping , three pairs of clothes, a pastel pink curtain she insisted matched her preference, and some random stuff I didn't even get the names of.

"Big brother, what do you think about this one?"

Tithi held up a light blue frock, spinning it around like she was auditioning for a fairy tale.

"It's... blue."

Tithi squinted at me.

"You seriously lack fashion vocabulary, you know that?"

I shrugged. "I am a boy."

She rolled her eyes and tossed the dress over her pile.

"Lucky for you, you have a little sister now."

As we passed a corner shop, she suddenly halted in her steps.

"Oh... my... God."

"What?"

"Look there."

She pointed towards a toy stall crammed with colorful plushies. But her eyes were fixed on a soft doll. A bear. Big black eyes, a round face, and tiny limbs that were almost begging to be hugged.

"Why is that so cute?" she whispered like she had just seen a lost puppy.

I stared at her expression, she lit up like a festival lamp. She was mesmerized. She looked... so genuinely happy.

Without another word, I walked to the stall owner.

"One of that."

"Eh?"

Tithi looked shocked as I handed the shopkeeper the bill.

"You're buying it?"

"Nope. I'm renting it for a lifetime," I replied with a smirk.

She looked at me in disbelief for a second before grabbing the bear and hugging it tightly.

"Thank you, big brother... I love it."

That was the first time she said that.

I rubbed my neck awkwardly. "Yeah yeah... you better carry it. I'm not walking around holding a teddy."

We strolled some more, grabbed a few snacks, and chatted about random things like school life, TV shows, even debated if ketchup belongs on eggs. I said no. She said I have no taste buds.

But one thing I learnt about Tithi, unlike me, she can speak nonchalantly.

Eventually, we reached the place where we were supposed to meet... her.

It was a small but cozy restaurant at the corner of the main street. The signboard read "Bistro Corner" in elegant cursive. Inside the glass windows, the ambiance looked warm and soft lights, wooden décor, and a quiet hum of afternoon chatter.

I sat on the bench outside, glancing at my watch. 12:07.

"She's a little late," I muttered.

Tithi looked at me and smirked.

"Why are your cheeks already turning red? She's not even here yet."

"I'm not red."

"You're a walking tomato."

Before I could defend myself, I heard the tap of footsteps.

And then, she came.

Ayesha.

Wearing a soft beige dress and a loose sweater, her hair tied in a lazy ponytail. Her eyes lit up when she saw us. And instantly, my brain short-circuited.

I stood up like a mechanical puppet.

"H-hi... hey... Ayesha,"

I said, voice breaking mid-greeting.

She smiled.

"Hi, Asif. Sorry I'm a bit late, I got held up at the crossing."

"N-no worries. Really. It's fine..."

"Are you Ayesha?" Tithi suddenly cut in, standing beside me with eyes sparkling.

"Um... yes?" Ayesha answered, confused.

"You're prettier than I expected,"

Tithi said like she was inspecting a prized jewel.

"How tall are you?

What's your blood type?

Do you like spicy food?

What shampoo do you use?"

"Wha—eh??"

Ayesha blinked, overwhelmed.

"Okay, that's enough."

I lightly chopped the back of Tithi's head.

"Ouch! That hurt, big brother!"

"I know,"

I replied with a grin.

Ayesha giggled softly.

"This troublemaker here is my little sister, Tithi and Tithi, she's... Ayesha."

Both smiled and nodded politely.

As we stood there, talking casually, I noticed something strange. Ayesha looked at me… differently. Her eyes were soft and calm. There was something in the way she looked that made my heart do weird flips.

I panicked and blurted out, "Let's go inside!"

The restaurant smelled of fresh bread and butter. Light instrumental music played in the background. The walls had framed photos of past customers, some of whom left handwritten notes. We picked a table with four chairs besides the window. They may be made of wood but well decorated and was clean.

I sat across from Ayesha.

Tithi plopped beside me, already holding the teddy in her arms.

A waiter came, took our orders. we ordered chicken sandwiches, fries, iced lemon tea for myself and Ayesha, and a strawberry smoothie for Tithi. She claimed it matched her bear's personality.

I wonder how that brown bear's personality matches with the strawberry smoothie.

As we waited, Tithi casually leaned back and asked, "So, how did you two meet?"

I sipped my water nervously. "We, uh… bumped into each other at the store a while ago."

Tithi narrowed her eyes. "That's it?"

"Well, yeah."

A moment passed.

She turned to Ayesha, staring directly into her eyes. "Is that true?"

Ayesha's hand froze on the table for a second. She looked a bit... tense.

But before anything else could be said, Tithi suddenly smiled.

"I mean, how boring would that be, right?"

she giggled and poked my side.

"Come on, big brother. Say something cheesy for once."

"What's cheesy? Like what?" I replied.

"I don't know. Like, 'From the moment I bumped into her, I knew my world would change.'"

"Do I look like someone who'd say that!?" I cringed.

Tithi and Ayesha both laughed at my flushed face.

I looked at both of them, my loud, sharp-tongued little sister, and the quiet, mysterious girl who somehow ended up sitting across from me.

And in that moment, despite all the teasing, awkward silences, and weird blushing,

I felt... happy...