What's up with you?

1.I

The whole day his phone had been ringing, but he barely had time to pick it up once. From the ringtone of an incoming call it changed to the one of SMS, DMs on Twitter or the knock of a whatsapp message. They all had said the same thing "The first poster of Brothers looks great, all the best" Though he felt flattered that so many people wished him, after a while he had to put his mobile on mute and keep it in his bag. He could all check them later, now he had to hit the gym and get rid of this unsatisfied feeling which made him work out extra hard. Where it came from exactly he didn't know, but since it was somehow mostly there, he used it to power himself really out in his training.
Usually it would go away after a while, but today it didn't even after two hours hardcore weightlifting. He still felt like he didn't accomplish anything.

Too tired to think of it, he forgot the constant alarming phone in his bag and went off to meet Karan. On his way trough the Dharma Studios he was stopped by other wellwishers here and there till he finally reached the office of his mentor. As usual Karan wasn't there yet, so Sid made himself comfortable on the couch and picked out his phone. 7 missed calls, 34 DMs and 126 whatsapp messages. After a look at his watch, Karan wouldn't be here, for the next 20 minutes, he started to reply. He didn't want to complain, but it was a bit exhausting, so he stopped doing it after a few minutes again.

Right in the second he was about to put it in the bag of his jeans the dsiplay enlightend again. Fumbling around he accidentally pushed the 'Accept call' button' before he saw who was calling.

"Hey, brother, the poster looks awesome!" He heard the caller shouting, before the phone was on his ear. He instantly reconized the voice and a wide grin appeared on his face. "Thanks, but long time no seen! Where are you, Pari?"

"Right now, I'm at Nitasha's, have a shoot tomorrow." That would explain the noisy background, Sid assumed and nodded. Which she couldn't see, he thought and quietly laughed about himself.

"I actually meant in general. You're quite often out of the country lately..."

She didn't reply immediatly, but Sid could hear the voices in the background getting quieter. She has walked into another room.

"I needed a break." was all she said. Sid couldn't tell for sure, but she sounded different than last time they talked. Which to his own shock had been almost two months. "I think I still need one." she finally added.

Sid's first happiness about her call vanished. Something was deeply wrong with her. "Why?" he asked and he could have immediatly slapped himself. He knew better than anyone else you never scrutunize anything she's doing. She was the most emotionally logical thinking person he knew. Actually she was the only person he knew who thought in that manner.

"Listen," she said as if she hadn't noticed his question, "Nitasha is calling I need to go back, talk to you later. Okay? Bye!"

Before he could react she hung up. "Bye!" he said to the empty line.

______________________________________________________

Throughout his conversation with Karan, Sid was thinking about her. Something bothered her extremly and he needed to know what it was.

"...on July 4th we'll start with you and Akshay visiting a real wrestling game..."

"Fight." Sid declared distraughtly.

Karan looked up from the paper in his hand with a disapproving face. "What?" he snapped.

Sid shook his head to get his distraction out of his head. "It's a fight , not a game." A look in Karan's face made Sid lower his head. "Sorry, go on."

"As I was saying, July 4th wrestling game, day after that 'Comedy nights' and three days later..."

"What's going on with Parineeti?" Sid asked suddenly. He hasn't been able to stop himself before the question was out.

"What?" This time Karan was rather suprised. "How should I know?" With his finger he marked the date he had been on. But Sid's question had stumped him, so he lied the list down on his desk. "What you mean?"

Sid was still so shocked himself that he realised he didn't know what he meant exactly.

When he kept quite searching for an answer, Karan leaned back and crossed his arms. "Look, Sid. I have really no idea why you ask, but I don't know what's going on in her life. I have to be concerned about the three of you...not her."

Sid nodded. Karan's words had been clear. He didn't want to be bothered about it. Sid understood, yet..."It's not about her two last movies..."

Karan sighed. "Sid, I have other people waiting..." he said, but Sid didn't listen. The young man stood up and walked to the window. "She told me that she's not to concerned about it." Sid laughed "She even said to me, she wishes for a flop for me, can you believe it?" Sid turned back to Karan.

"No." he said with no interest. "Could you sit down?"

Sid smiled, again not aware of Karan's bad mood. "Of course, she sad, only to put me on the ground again. She said the same thing to Alia."

Karan tried to interupt Sid: "Speaking of Alia..."

Sid came back to his chair and sat down. "What's about her?" Sid asked.

"How's she doing?" Karan smiled smugly.

Sid shook his head. "Go on with the list, please."

Though the older man mumbled something about Holi he took the piece of paper back in his hand and continued to tell Sid about the Brothers promotion plans.

________________________________________________________

When he left the office and the studios Sid couldn't deny to be furious at Karan. He tried to talk to him about the whole Alia thing, but he wouldn't listen. The whole marketing team was listening only to the boss' orders and whatever Sid said remained unheard. It wouldn't stop him from meeting her, she was after all a close friend, but it bothered him immensly, that they had to go to every event together. Media took it as fodder, of course. He reminded himself that it was all part and parcel of the game, if he was used to it or not was his own problem.

He took out his phone to call Pari back but she didn't answer. She had a problem and he wanted to help her. He couldn't know that her issues had the same roots as the ones he had.