Prema (Pranushka)

Chapter 3

Anushka

I let my bag drop to the floor, ignoring the small thud before I run towards the bed in the middle of the room. I glance up at the large monitor a few feet away from me before looking down at the bed.

"Anna...." I start, my voice already breaking as I let my eyes go over his body, an iv in both of his arms, various bandages taped onto his body, and an oxygen container to the left of him.

"Why do you insist on doing this to yourself?" I sigh, rubbing his hair softly as he just rolls his eyes and looks up at me with a blank stare.

"I didn't do anything. I didn't know how strong the shit he gave me was and I took too much that's all," He replies with a scoff, pushing up his arms slowly so he is sitting up and is more level with me.

"If it was that simple you wouldn't be here right now. You're just cutting off years from your life, you know that right." He just shakes his head, paying no heed to my words as he fiddles with the bright blue hospital bracelet on his wrist.

"What more is left?" I sigh when he says that, glancing around the room for a second before looking back into his eyes.

"Come on. Don't say that. Look I get it, I know things are tough I understand, but doing this you aren't doing a favor to anyone," I tell him, nodding towards the beeping monitors surrounding his bed. This has happened before, he's taken so much of a substance or blacked out and not woken up for so long that he was brought to the hospital. And each time the doctor says the same thing, the amount of alcohol or drugs in his system becomes way too much for his body to handle so he shuts down countless times Rana has been close to a large overdose leading to death.

"Anushka, if you are going to lecture me, don't waste your time." His voice is blunt and he gives me a slight stare while fidgeting with his fingers, a habit we both have. I take a breath, trying to stay as calm as I can because as patient as I am, he's crossing the limits and at this point, Anna doesn't need to be talked to in a sweet voice, he needs to get it into his head that he needs to make a full 360 with his life.

I take my hands off the railing, crossing them over my chest before I snap in his face.

"That's it Anna! I don't care that I'm younger than you, but you are acting like a child. You won't listen to our parents anyway, at least hear me out. I can't see you like this ok. I can't watch as you let your life go down the drain. You have so much left to live, so much to achieve and I can't bear to watch you come so close to leaving so often. You aren't a child anymore to just black out every chance you get. That isn't isn't helping you now nor will it help you in the future. I'm done covering for you and letting everything slide because it's not ok. No matter how many times I lecture you and scream at you, you don't listen but it's for your good. I want you around ok, live for me if not for yourself," I pause for a second, running my hands through my tangled hair before looking back at him to continue.

"You are doing well in your professional life, and I know you are only going to do more wonderful things in your career. Your social life is thriving, it always is, with your friends and parties. And as for our parents, you know they only want you to be happy and stable which is why they act the way they do. I love them and I know you do too, and even though they aren't perfect they've given us everything we needed and wanted so it's our responsibility to take it from here. You're my best friend for god's sake, so don't go all haywire on me now," I cover my mouth for a second, my upper body sinking as my tone melts and I am no longer mirroring our angry mother as my emotions get the best of me.

"I want you there at my wedding teasing me and wiping my tears, I want you there to hold my babies for the first time, I want you there when I fight with my husband so you can get mad at him for making me cry; I want you there for it all. Forget about me, I want you to see your wedding and your future with a family. Please don't let yourself spiral down like this, it's not worth it." I reach for his hand, rubbing on it softly as the tears fall down my face, the barrier I built finally coming down. I ignore the sigh I hear leave his lips and let the silence befall upon for a little, as I've run out of words to say and my tears are all I have left.

I hug my arms, rubbing on them softly, before slowly lifting my head when I feel a tap on my arm. I take the tissue held in front of my face and wipe my eyes, a smile creeping onto my face slowly. I sit up again, so I am looking at Rana who is rubbing the beard growing on his chin and looking down at his legs covered by a blanket.

"I'll be better. I'll work on myself. I'm sorry Anushka," I cover my mouth as a sob chokes through my throat at his words. He lets me throw my arms around his neck as I cry into his shoulder.

"Do it for yourself ok, not just for me. You have so much left to do in life and I want to see you succeed and be happy." I kiss his forehead and squeeze his hand, a small smile taking place on my wet face.

"I promise I'll try ok, and I know I say that every time, but for real this time." I nod at his words, standing up by the bed again, and wiping my tears with my fingers.

"Just, um don't mention this to our parents again ok. I don't need them to know." I nod at his request and sigh as my ears welcome a familiar statement again.

"I won't." He nods, reaching for his phone on the table on the other side of him before turning it on. Before he gets too distracted, I talk to him about a few more things, not about him and his life, but all the hospital-related things and what I can do on my part to help him out.

"Ok, I'll see you then, call me if you need anything." I give him one last glance, my eyes filling with worry and fear before I leave the hospital room and close the door behind me.

Prabhas

"Stop it guys seriously," I shake my head at the pillows being thrown between the three fully grown men trying to decide what to watch on the tv.

"It makes sense to watch the next movie in the series, not some other random movie," Nithin says, clutching a dark blue pillow in his arms as Ram glares at him.

"Yeah but there are so many movies in the series, so can't we take a break and watch something else," Ram retorts back to him, nudging Mahesh to look up from his phone and say something. I set the 2 bowls of popcorn I made down on the table and sat on the dark brown diwan in front of the tv.

"You two need girlfriends," Mahesh says, making me laugh as I stretch my arms out, wincing as the soreness from yesterday's arm workout is kicking in.

"We all do," Ram adds to that, sitting by Mahesh and laying back on the sofa directly across from the tv.

"Girls don't want to date idiots," I tell them rolling my eyes as I sit up to take my phone out of my pocket and set it down in front of me.

"And who are you huh, some big film star," Nithin teases me, scrunching his nose as he makes a disgusted face at me.

"I didn't say I wasn't an idiot," I reply laughing as I lay back on the sofa and take the remote into my hands.

"Yeah but it's going to be you or Mahesh who gets a girlfriend first, at least a serious one at least," Ram exclaims, making Mahesh set his phone down with a raised eyebrow.

"No way, Prabhas doesn't go near other girls or do anything with them, he's too boring." I throw a kernel of popcorn at Nithin which he just picks off his legs, where it lands, and pops it into his mouth.

"I'm not boring, ok. I just haven't found girls I'm interested in," I explain to them, ignoring Mahesh's eye roll and Ram shaking head.

"Yeah every girl is interested in you but then you ignore them," Ram replies to me as he crosses his legs on the recliner.

"So they go to you two as their second choices," I smirk as I look at Ram and Nithin when I say that.

Mahesh starts laughing and reaches out for the bowl of popcorn on the table. This conversation goes on for a little longer before we flip a coin to pick a movie and just chill at home with each other during our night in.

Hey everyone! So sorry that I keep updating late but I promise I'm trying to write chapters as fast as I can. I know this was a short chapter, but the upcoming chapters will be longer and a lot more fun, this was mainly to introduce Rana and then a fun little moment between the boys.

Thanks so much for reading! Comment below where you think Prabhas and Anushka will meet next!

-Ag