With the lyrics of Prateek Kuhad's Cold/mess (Wish I could leave you my love, but my heart is a mess) reverberating in the ears, we begin prepping for a rendezvous with the musician. His music, we hope, will help us comprehend his carefree spirit. On the day of his Mumbai concert — which he calls "the biggest high of my life" — we catch up with him to decipher what makes him tick.

While most musicians would be occupied with last-minute sound checks before taking to the stage, Kuhad seems surprisingly at ease. "I just show up," he says of his scheduled gig for Zee Live Supermoon, and adds that he is often well-rehearsed before the season of touring begins. Yet, he requests us to take his seemingly confident demeanour with a pinch of salt. "I still get nervous before going on stage. In general, my basic state is 'nervous-anxious'. [During] the first three years [as a touring artiste], I would stick to my set, and [primarily] play solos and trios."