It was night of disturbed sleep for Abhiram.He was sleep deprived for most of the days ever since he joined as a post graduate in Emergency Medicine.But yesterday was different,sleep had eluded him for a long time.He kept tossing and turning  in his bed before  finally falling asleep, only to be rudely awakened again by a horrible nightmare.Well nightmares are horrible.

He got out of his bed and went to the bathroom. Not bad for a doctor , he thought staring at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. He had to bend down a little to look at himself properly because he was quite tall. His room mate was a short person and insisted that the mirror be fitted at that particular height.  His stubble covered the scar on  his right cheek.The scar was a constant reminder of a minor accident in his childhood, he had fallen from his cycle and a sharp piece of metal lying on the road injured his cheek causing severe bleeding.It left a scar that now attracted a lot of attention from his female colleagues. Not that they didn't find his other attributes  attractive. For instance ,he was fitter than most of his colleagues but what really stood out were his eyes and smile which complemented each other when he smiled. Even his recent dark circles couldn't  hide the effect of his radiant smile on girls.

He didn't have time for a shave so he quickly finished his bath, put on his white shirt and beige pants and headed for the ER. He was late and couldn't afford to have his breakfast.

Ritika  on the other hand didn't like skipping her meals. She gobbled up her breakfast and on her way to the ER she bought a couple of Snickers from the canteen and stuffed them into her coat pocket. I can have it at 11 o'clock she thought merrily.

It hadn't got really busy at the ER  yet and Ritika took out her novel which she had bought from blossom book house. It was a decent place to buy used books.She was into the 20th chapter  where the hero was asking the heroine for a kiss when she was suddenly interrupted.

 "Can you give me that Ritu?" She felt a shiver ran down her spine when she heard Abhiram's voice.She was clueless about what he wanted. 

"Gi..Give you what?".She stuttered.

"Snickers.I think I saw snickers in your pocket.I'm terribly hungry. Can't you hear my stomach groaning?I missed my breakfast today Ritu." Abhiram pouted and pointed to his tummy.

Ritika felt stupid.What am I even thinking? I have gone nuts I'm sure . Why is he pouting?

"Here , take it." Ritika gave him the snickers.   

"I can't function if I don't eat food. I don't understand how you manage to work with an empty stomach Ram."

He shrugged and then took a generous bite.

"Usually girls skip meals ,don't they? You are angry  you skip food, you are sad,again skip food."

"Well ,I'm not like that.And don't generalise the issue.Not all girls are like that Ok. I loooo...ve food."

"I can see that". He looked at her as if he was scanning her.

Ritika felt embarrassed at what Abhiram was trying to imply.Was that him trying to tell her she was needed to lose some weight? Or was she making a mountain out of a mole hill?

She caught him laughing now and felt her cheeks flush.

"Ram, you are so rude." She gave him a friendly punch on his shoulders. "Actually you know what, I don't care". She then strode out of the room  to the nursing station.

She lied to him. She was hurt.He had called her fat! Well not literally.But he implied at it.Anyway what difference does it make ,she thought.

Abhiram regretted what he said. I shouldn't have said that .I called my friend and one of the prettiest girls in this campus fat.Wonder how many boys are after her. Boys must be proposing to her all the time and Iook at what I told her. I shouldn't have skipped the breakfast.Hypoglycemia is getting to me. Let me eat this snickers first. And then I should apologise, he made up his mind.

He came out in search of her and found her talking to one of the nurses.

"Where are the others? Tanusha and Tarak?" He wanted to apologise to her and was trying to engage her in a conversation.

"They have gone to the mess for a coffee. They will be back in five minutes. Actually Tarak proposed to Tanusha last night. " Ritika had a spark in her eyes when she told that.

"Really?! And has she told yes?" Abhiram asked with a genuine smile on his lips.

"Wasn't it obvious Ram. She really likes him a lot though she tried a lot to hide the fact. I'm dying to know the details."Ritika was trying to stifle a giggle. Girls, giggle for everything, he thought as he opened a case sheet and flipped its pages.

"Of course, but I didn't expect things to escalate so quickly".       

" He flirts with other girls also,I have seen. And the other day he was talking about girls from other batches.Tanusha dooesn't mind ?" ABhiram asked RItika  casually.

"No she doesn't mind Ram. He has been after her for a long time.He has been pretty serious about her and she knows that". Ritika explained to Abhiram, as he listened  to her keenly,wishing Rupa trusted him the same way. 

 Abhiram's thoughts drifted to the day when he had  proposed to Rupa. He was nervous though he was sure she would accept to his proposal.He had messaged her to wait near the college canteen after her OT shift.

"Will you marry me?" Abhiram was sure of what he was asking.

 Rupa  had an inkling that he would ask her out. She wanted to date him,hang out with him.But she was stumped when he asked her to marry him. She had been in a relationship with her classmate when she was in 12th standard,unfortunately it didn't workout.The attraction between Rupa and Abhiram had been mutual.They couldn't keep their eyes off each other .And they looked good together.

"Yess!" she told him. This will work out she convinced herself.

The sound of an ambulance siren brought Abhiram back to the present. An OP ( organophosphorous) poisoning case was brought into the ER. Dr Shareef came out from his chamber.

"Take him to the toxicology room."He ordered.

Abhiram put on his gloves and started giving the patient gastric lavage.The patient was then put on oxygen and subsequently atropinised.He was also put on a drug called pralidoxime. OP poisoning is so common in India,Abhiram sighed.Many people especially farmers in India attempted suicide by consuming OP poison and succumbed to it.

The patient was stabilised and was supposed to be shifted to the ICU as instructed by Dr Shareef. The ER nurse called up the ICU incharge nurse on the intercom and informed her about the case that had to be shifted there.

After a while, Dr Sudheer, the annoying anaesthesia associate professor walked into the ER.

Why is he here?Troublemaker. Abhiram thought as Dr Sudheer looked around.

"Excuse me can anybody here tell me why this patient is being shifted to the ICU so soon.He can be put in the emergency ICU for this night. " Dr Sudheer was now looking at the patient's case sheet.

"Sir, Dr. Shareef instructed to do so. We don't keep the patients here once they get stabilised." Abhiram tried to be as polite as possible.

"Are you the boss here? Just do what I say.Is that clear? As far as I can see there aren't too many cases in your hand right now.So what's the problem?" Dr Sudheer looked around, there weren't many patients.

" Sir. Dr Shareef is the boss here.We only follow his instructions.We have to keep the beds vacant here in case an emergency arises.That's the protocol."

"Are you teaching me protocols.Unbelievable. Why do you want so many vacant beds man? Do you want to sleep with your girlfriend here? Or is it girlfriends?" Dr Sudheer sniggered.

Abhiram clenched his jaw that made a vein on his forehead more prominent and his hands balled into a fist. One nurse who was standing behind Abhiram clasped her mouth. Ritika was shocked at the language used by the senior doctor.It amounted to verbal abuse.It was not the first time he had spoken like this. PGs in other departments were also ill treated in a similar fashion before.The only reason why he was retained in the hospital was because he was a highly skilled doctor who could manage any emergency.

"Don't you dare show your attitude to me ,I'm warning you boy. Keep the patient here for tonight.You can shift him tomorrow morning." Dr Sudheer gave Abhiram a malicious  stare and walked away.

Dr Shareef had gone for a tea and by the time he was back Dr Sudheer had already left. Abhiram told Dr Shareef what had happened except the jibe against him.

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