Abhiram was tired but he got into  the lift and pressed the button to first floor. The ICU complex was in the first floor adjacent to the operation theaters and post operative wards.He stepped out of the lift and walked towards the ICU complex. The watchman infront of the ICU main door was shouting at a middle aged man.

" Look ,there are visiting hours here in the ICU. You cannot barge in here at whatever time you want.Come at  8'o clock in the morning."

"Will you let me in ?"  The watchman turned around and saw Abhiram smiling at him. The watchman grinned at him sheepishly.

"Anytime sir".

Abhiram removed his footwear and put on the rubber slippers and walked into the stepdown ICU. The stepdown ICU  provides  a moderate level of care for patients somewhere between that of the general ward and the intensive care unit.

She seemed to be  unmistakably upset about something. What can it be?, he thought to himself. He gave a quick glance around  and momentarily spotted Rupa jotting down something in a case sheet. Her usually perfect hair looked disheveled, signs of overworking he thought.

"Busy dear? he spoke into her ear. She was so startled she dropped her pen.A nurse who was standing some distance away giggled at them.Abhiram felt irritated at that nurse.

"Gosh! I'm sorry I did that. You alright?" Abhiram's eyes narrowed.
Her eyes were damp . Had she been crying?

"Do I look like I'm alright Abhi? "She was on the verge of tears.

"Come outside . We shouldn't be disturbing the patients. " Abhiram took hold of her hands and walked out of the ICU into the corridor.

"Tell me what's wrong? Why are you crying? Is it me again? Did I do something?"

Rupa wiped her tears away and recounted what Dr Sudheer told her a while ago.

"He is a pervert and you know that. He always tries to make unwanted advances towards his PGs and nurses too. Don't you realise that he is trying to mess up with your head. You have to ignore him Rupa for your own good."He tried to ease her mental agony but in vain.

He was still holding her hands in his own and continued to speak.

"I can't believe he spoke to a PG like this.  Actually you know what , I'm not surprised. I really don't know how his wife tolerates him . He is an ugly jerk Rupa ." He pressed her hands reassuringly and wiped her tears away from her cheeks.

"It's not about him Abhi. I can handle him but why should I listen to all the crap he tells? He thinks you are a flirt . He kept telling that you spend a lot of time in Ritika's company and I don't like it.  I don't like it a bit."

"What's that moron's problem?Why is he discussing our personal life with you?Has he tried to be inappropriate to you? What does he get from meddling in a PGs love life?Tell me Rupa, I will complain to the Superintendent."

"I don't want you to talk to Ritika anymore.Why are you spending so much time with her?". Rupa asked him bitterly

Abhiram let out a harsh breath.

"She is my friend Rupa.She is posted to the ER.I can stop talking to her if  you want .But that won't solve the problem right. Today it is about Ritika,tomorrow it will be about some other girl. Too much of insecurity is toxic in any relationship."

"Why do you want to spoil our relationship for the sake of that girl Abhi?"

"You don't understand what I'm trying to tell you.You need to trust me Rupa"

 "You are not concerned about  my feelings Abhi.I'm not sure where this relationship is heading."

Annoyed at  Rupa's words, he walked out from the ICU complex.

                *********

Abhiram was back in his room . His head hurt. So he fell flat on his bed and stared at the window.

Why does it feel so suffocating?Do I hurt  her so much that she cries almost every single day.? What do I do to knock some sense into her head?Jeez !Girls are so complicated. Why can't they think simple? I wonder how their neural networks function.

He freshened up and went to meet his close friend, Chaitanya hoping to find some solace.

"Hey! You there? " 

Abhiram kept knocking the door wondering if Chaitanya had already gone to bed. A very groggy looking Chaitanya opened the door.

"I need to talk. Will you change and come outside? Eesshhh... At this age you  wear boxers with cartoon pictures on it?!! Oh my God you look so funny ." Abhiram guffawed.

"Idiot! I was peacefully sleeping in my room till you came and ruined it .Where do you want to go at this hour Abhi? And what's wrong with my boxers? I'm not running along the corridors in these. And do you know that girls like such cute boxers. Just give me a minute , I will change and come ."

He could see that Chaitanya was a little miffed at being disturbed from his sleep but Abhiram really wanted to get this burden out of his heart. 

"We can go to coffee house " Abhiram said to his friend . He wasn't  an avid coffee drinker himself but that was the only decent place that would be open till 12 in the night .

"Are you up for a drink ?"Chaitanya looked at his watch.He liked to booze and always looked for excuses.

Abhiram didn't drink on a regular basis. He was not even a social drinker  but today he felt like having alcohol . To drown himself in uncertainity or to get out of it ,Ihe wasn't  quite sure.

"Can you give some relationship advice?" Abhiram knew he didn't do relationships but still asked him.

"Look Abhi , the only relationship advice I can give you is  to not get into one. But you are already in one. So , my advice to you is follow your heart. You shouldn't be asking me about these things.I had to take antidepressants during my under graduation days to overcome a breakup."Chaitanya had become a bit of a cynic after that experience and made a vow to himself that he wouldn't mess up his life again.

"One more question Chaitanya, why does Rupa feel so insecure?"Abhiram was into my third peg and was not really enjoying the drink. Coffee would have been better, he thought drily.

"You are a hot looking male.Jealousy and insecurity is common especially in girls." Chaitanya remarked with a lopsided smile on his face.

Abhiram gave a wry smile and rubbed his forehead.

"But too much of it  is harmful.May be you should talk to her. Tell her that it is hurting you."

"She fails to understand that .But I really like her.I don't want to hurt her  by ." And he had a burning sensation in the stomach or was it in  his  heart

                                                                    *********************

Abhiram was back in his room. He had had  three pegs of Vodka and frankly speaking it hadn't done him any good. Infact it  changed his  condition from bad to worse. His stomach was burning , must be alcoholic gastritis, he thought as the burning sensation travelled up to his chest. He popped in an antacid  and tried to fall asleep.

He was running along a long corridor, his heart pumping madly , he could hear his own heart beat. He felt  somebody coming  after him  with adrenaline injection. That somebody would push it into my heart , to make my rapidly beating heart to stop. He needed  to run faster ,faster... but his  legs were giving up on him,I lacked the energy to move any further along.NOOOOO 

He  woke up with a shudder, 

Phew it was a goddamn dream . Looked so real, felt so real, he relaxed instantly.

He found himself  drenched in sweat. He had to  get some sleep or he  wouldn't be able to function normally the next day.

                                                            *****************

hello friends ! how was this chapter? Do let me know :)