Alvin was pacing in the room for sometime now. He came back from Anusha's home hours ago but he was restless.

'Stop pacing brother, you are making me dizzy..'

'Huh...?' he didn't notice that he got an audience here.
'Riya..? What are you doing in my room?'
'God... seriously brother, that is a question I should ask you.. what are you doing in my room?' she scoffed at him.
'What? I am in your room..?' he gave her a baffled look and she  smirked.

'Come on... You are totally out of it. What happened? Did you fight with Anu Di?'

'How did you know?'

'Oh.. please.. I am not blind.. you only hang out with her.. and I had seen you going there. So tell me why did you fight?'

Now that was a question he was asking himself. Why did he fight with her? Actually it was not a fight.. he just got worked up and snapped at her.
She didn't took her condition seriously, maybe it's nothing serious but still she should have seen a doctor but that is her personal life, what was he doing by getting angry at her.
He sighed..
' I don't know Riya..' he confessed.

'Ok.. then why are you so restless?' she gave him a puzzled look.

'I am worried that I just overreacted and she is going to shut me out from her life..'

'Oh' Riya looked at him thoughtfully.

'Why don't you just call her and apologize.. I know Anu dii.. she is nice.. she will understand... Won't she?' she winked at him.

'Good idea..thanks Riya.. I don't know what would I have done without you' and Riya rolled her eyes.
he gave her a brilliant smile and walked outside to call Anusha.

Good god, now he is taking advise from teen girls... What is wrong with him..he wondered...He didn't want to overthink about his actions any more.. he will think about it when time comes.. not now...

Anusha was trying to read a book for sometime but she couldn't get into the story. She was thinking about Alvin's outburst in the evening. She didn't know what to make out of it, she thought they were in good terms but today's event was questioning that. She was in her deep thoughts when her phone started ringing and it was him. She took the call after three rings.

'Hey..Anu...' he said while checking the time. It was past ten o'clock.

'Hi.. Alvin..' she replied clearing her throat.

'Were you sleeping? Did I wake you up?' he asked as he entered to his room.

'No.. I was trying to read a book' she replied while trying to guess the reason for the call.

'How are you?' man..why can't I say a sorry properly, he wanted to kick himself.

'I am perfectly fine..' she replied to him with a chuckle like she was reading his mind.

'Now tell me why did you call?'
He was silent for a few minutes.

'I owe you an apology Anu... I am sorry , I should not have snapped at you. It just happened like that. Usually I don't react like that but this time I overreacted..sorry. Were you mad at me'

'Of Course not Alvin.. I was just confused. You were always that easy going person, I was wondering what happened to that guy , he gave me shocking special treatment..'

'Oh..sorry about that.. um.. are we good now?.

'yep.. we are good and I got a message from the clinic about the appointment'
.
'Yeah.. and I am serious about that.. you should get a check up. It is better to be on the safe side you know..'

'Okay..' she said half heartedly.

'So we are going tomorrow and I will pick you up from office and send me your office location.' After chatting for a few minutes both said their good nights and Alvin felt relieved and slept with a foolish smile on his face.

               ####################

                It was an another busy day in the office. They were about to start safety training classes for the labours, which was a necessary for them. Anusha and Yasmine got the responsibility to arrange the first training session the coming week. So they were busy with work alongside their usual tasks. By the evening, Anusha was tired and her heels were killing her. She was sending last mail for the day, Yasmine came to her desk.

'Are we done for today?' she looked at Anusha while rubbing her forehead.

'Yep...this is the last mail' she replied and hit the send button.
'Good... I just want to go home and sleep.. I am so tired.'

'Hey..busy ladies, how are you?'
Arlene joined them who wasn't busy like the two of them and Anusha made a face at her.

'Don't even ask..we are done for today.. 10 more minutes, and we are leaving for home'.

Arlene looked outside through their glass door and giggled
'hey Yasmin, perfect fun for sometime, look outside' she pointed outside and soon both of them started giggling and exchange knowing glances at eachother.

'Hey what's going on?' Anusha stood up and looked outside and she noticed him..
'Alvin... I totally forgot about the appointment.' She was so busy today it just slipped from her mind.

'what? You know him?'Arlene looked at her quizzically.
'Oh.. Arlene, he is my friend, the one who came to pick up me from your home.' Arlene smiled  and gave her a thumbs up. Okay..what was that?.

'Boyfriend?' Yasmin winked at her and looked outside.

'No Yasmin, he is just a friend and leave it at that..'

'Okay if you say so..' Yasmin winked again. 'Yeah, and why are you both staring at him?'

'Because he is handsome..' they both chanted in unison and giggled.

Anusha sighed were they this irritating before? She wondered. She collected her things and took her phone. She had three missed calls from Alvin and her phone was in silent. She immediately called him back and said that she will meet him in few minutes. She signed out for the day, grabbed her handbag, and said  good bye to her friends and walked towards him.

'Have a nice time Anusha..' Yasmin called from behind making Anusha roll her eyes.

             Alvin was leaning on his car and was busy in phone. He was wearing a black dress shirt with blue jeans and well... he looked handsome.

Wait..he could look movie star handsome and she didn't care. Did she? She shrugged herself and wanted to kill her friends to make her think like that.

'Hey.. did you wait for long?' She asked as she walked to him.

'hi .. no.. I just came now. Ready to go?'
He asked as he opened the door.

'Yeah..yeah..and I don't want them to eat you alive.' she muttered and he turned to look at her.
'what?'
'Nothing.. let us go' she smiled and got into the car. He frowned and got into the car.

She chuckled 'Nothing Alvin, my friends were  going crazy over you.' She pointed towards her desk, which was empty now.
'oh.. I didn't notice'. He looked  genuinely embarrassed now and she laughed some more.'
'Don't worry, they were just kidding..'

'Yeah.. whatever..' he shrugged and started the engine.

Anusha removed her heals and rubbed her feet. 'Busy day?'

'Yep...and my heels were killing me' she replied and sat back.
'Then why don't you wear something comfortable if high heels  are not   necessary?'

'I don't know..?' it was a question rather than a statement. She didn't know  when she stopped caring herself. It just happened eventually. She didn't want to stand out in anyway that is how she have been trying to live.

'Seriously Anusha.. I don't know what to say..were you always like this?' he said without looking at her.

She didn't say anything for sometime. 'No I wasn't like this..' she said grimly.

'Then what happened to you?' he asked looking at her. Anusha was looking outside but she suddenly seemed cold and distant.

'That's a story for some other time..' she mumbled and crossed her arms on her chest. He itched to ask more but he held back remembering their fight last time.
                 They had entered the main road from her office site and after twenty minutes drive, he pulled over to the parking lot and parked the car in an empty lot.

The Apollo polyclinic was one of the best polyclinic in Qatar and he had been there before and he knows the ENT doctor their, that is why he chose this clinic. Anusha put on her heals and got out of the car. It was getting cold and she held her jacket closely and walked slowly towards the entrance.
Alvin followed her closely. The clinic was a two storey building with beige and orange coloured walls. They waited in the reception for sometime for her token number. She paid the consultation fee and Alvin lead her to the first floor and they walked through the corridor towards the end of the building, where ENT department was located. Anusha didn't like hospitals, it made her anxious and sick. They sat on the waiting area and she rubbed her temple unconsciously.

Anusha was uneasy,  it was visible and he noticed that. They were on time and in five minutes they could see the doctor. He tapped her shoulder lightly and she turned to him and she  raised her eyebrows questioningly.

'What happened ?you look lost.' She met his eyes, which was  so dark it reminded her of a starless night.
How much he can see through her soul...she wondered. May be he could see how hollow and fragile she is. That thought intimidated her and she averted her gaze.

'Nothing... I just hate being here..' she looked around and sighed.

'Me too.. the feeling is mutual' he replied and smiled.

'And why is that?' she asked with a smile.
' I hate needle. Mom had to run after me every time I get a shot and since then I don't like hospitals'

'I think that means you are a scaredy cat..' she chuckled and he made a face which caused her to laugh some more.
' I will ask your mom..Okay'

'No you will not' he replied and just then her name was called.

'We will see that..let us go.' She got up and walked towards the consultation room.
        Dr. Preeti was a thin elegant women in her early fifties. They greeted each other and she remember ed Alvin. Then she asked about her condition while the nurse checked her blood pressure and temperature. Doctor prescribed some blood tests and asked them to come with the report next day and then she could tell something about her condition. They thanked the doctor and left. The laboratory was in the same floor , so they paid for the tests and they sat on the waiting area.

'You don't have to come with me. I will go alone and I don't want to see you faint here.'

'I should not have told you anything' he muttered and shrugged.

        Later, they had  dinner at a nearby restaurant. They had a nice time together. When they drove back to home, she smiled herself thinking how easily he can lighten up her mood and how nice it was being with him. Then another thought occurred to her that she is going to miss him , once he leaves and that was a consequence she will have to face alone...