VOID

Chapter 05: Perturbed

He immediately popped some painkillers into his mouth and closed his eyes for a bit, this headache was going to last.

He hadn't opened the text that had been right below Kajal's invitation.

05:20 p.m.

Raut was leaving, knackered and sleepy, his dark circles prominent in the evening glow.

Prabhas was in his vanity, staring at the horizon, his hair secured under his favorite beanie. He had taken a liking to headwear and couldn't have enough of them.

He sat up when he heard the knock, he knew Raut would head over before going back home.

"Big man" Raut smiled at Prabhas, who smiled back, his face bright yet distressed.

"Anything to drink?" Prabhas asked, opening the mini fridge and handing Raut a bottle of citrus drink.

They rarely had alcohol on sets.

Raut received it gratefully and chugged the whole bottle down in one go, to which he received a standing ovation from Prabhas.

Raut laughed, this man was goofy and funny, while simultaneously being silent and relaxed. Being a friend of Prabhas was very entertaining indeed!

Talk about having different dimensional qualities.

"You going to the Kapoors' dinner?" Raut asked him, to which Prabhas shook his head, uncertain.

Saif had invited everyone, Kareena would be hosting a dinner at her place.

"I would love to, but I don't know if I'll be able to go, I have shoot in Hyderabad continuously, goddamn packed schedules", Prabhas sighed, he couldn't get used to shooting multiple movies at the same time, however much he tried.

Raut smiled at Prabhas' exhausted physique and headed out, he was gonna go home and get his deprived sleep back.

Twenty minutes later, Prabhas strode out of his vanity and called his mother, he was suddenly missing her and her lectures.

He smiled as soon as she picked up, he could hear people talking nine to the dozen in the background.

"Amma?" He asked, not sure if she heard him over the clamor.

"Can you hear me?" She asked back, she wasn't comfortable with the chaos behind her either.

"Yeah I can, but you sound blurry" he told her, "why don't you head upstairs, the sound will be less obvious?"

He heard her moving away, the noise reduced reasonably and stopped altogether at a point.

She must be in the gym, he guessed.

"Done with your shoot?" She asked him, concerned, she knew how hard he found it to adapt, he was not at all used to slipping in and out of one or other state, doing multiple shoots.

Her son's laziness was something that helped him in a way, she thought, she couldn't imagine him torturing his physique all the time, AND being an active person, his whole body would be facing the consequences.

Thank god he was lazy enough to not break his back over the smallest things.

"Yeah Amma, I'm done and am gonna leave now" Prabhas replied and yawned hugely, to which she smiled on the other end.

"Didn't have your meal yet?" She asked him, she knew he'd be ravenous by evening.

"Not yet, eating only after I reach home, I expect my loving Chef to throw me a feast" he told her, chuckling.

"Of course he will, eat and sleep on time" she replied, the usual motherly concern taking over.

"And son" she paused for a moment, subtle uncertainty in her voice.

He listened patiently, knowing what was about to come.

"I met a girl through a mutual friend" she spoke slowly, to which he nodded along.

"I think she'd make a great wife" she stopped at that.

"Amma" he spoke calmly, "I'll meet her, don't worry."

She exhaled with relief, she hadn't expected him to understand so abruptly.

She smiled again, much more brightly, she was so proud of her son. He smiled on the other end, he knew she was overjoyed.

"Good night Amma" he said softly and hung up, he was going to head home too.

09:43 p.m.

His hunger was satiated, his body had shut down, his eyes were droopy, but he couldn't get himself to sleep.

For him, not being able to sleep was a first.

He was the one who fell asleep anywhere, in any position, even while standing he could doze off, like a horse.

He was tossing all over his bed, being deprived of rest wasn't something he took well. He knew he'd be grumpy if he lost his beauty sleep. Yet, he simply couldn't put himself to sleep.

He didn't realize that it was nerves.

His subconscious knew, he was going to meet a woman, supposedly his would be wife, in a week's time. He was lowkey excited.

He for one thing didn't imagine or wonder about how she would look. He didn't actually care about her appearance. He knew his reality, he wasn't in his best appearance either. He was just jittery about how she would talk and behave, and how she would fit into his crazy lifestyle.

He couldn't imagine someone willingly marrying an actor, he knew the cons of that very well.

He tossed and turned for the major part of the night, his whole brain huffing and puffing with his haywire thoughts.

So much for a good night's sleep.

Sigh :)