Chapter 2 (A Star in Hyderabad)
Padmaboti’s First Day in Hyderabad
Hyderabad woke up early that morning.
Not because of the usual IT crowd or metro rush—
but because Padmaboti Sen had officially stepped into the city.
At the luxury hotel in HiTech City, the lobby buzzed with a quiet tension. Staff adjusted their ties twice, polished the marble floors thrice, and rehearsed their greetings for the twentieth time.
At exactly 8:15 a.m., Padmaboti walked in—simple, elegant, and painfully beautiful even without makeup.
A soft pink kurta.
Minimal jewellery.
Hair tied loosely.
A calm smile that melted the stiffness of the hotel staff instantly.
She folded her hands politely.
“Namaskar… thank you for having me.”
Her voice was warm, gentle—like she was speaking to old friends, not strangers.
Her manager, Trina, bustled beside her, already juggling calls.
“Boti, remember—we have a photoshoot at 11, script reading at 2, and the director wants a meeting tonight.”
Padmaboti nodded, but her mind wasn’t in the schedule.
Her eyes drifted to the massive glass windows.
Hyderabad shimmered outside—sunlight bouncing off buildings, auto horns weaving into the wind, and the faintest aroma of masala dosa floating from a nearby café.
She smiled to herself.
“Feels good to be here,” she murmured.
Later that afternoon
The film’s PR team arranged a short segment titled “Taste of Hyderabad”, where Padmaboti would explore top restaurants for authentic Hyderabadi flavours.
Trina handed her the list.
Padmaboti scanned it.
The first name on the list caught her eye:
Spice Symphony — Chef: Venkatesh Reddy
She paused.
“Chef Venkatesh?” she repeated, testing the name aloud.
There was something comforting about it.
Something warm… homely… musical.
Trina peeked at the sheet.
“Oh, he’s very popular. Hyderabad loves him. People say he cooks with heart.”
Padmaboti smiled gently.
“Sounds lovely.”
She traced her finger over the name Venkatesh without realising she was doing it.
Little did she know—
the man whose name she found oddly pleasant
was currently panicking in a kitchen across the city
because he might have to meet her.
Meanwhile, at Spice Symphony
Rohit Varma flew into the kitchen like a cyclone.
“VENKY! Guess which restaurant Padmaboti might visit today?!”
Venky looked up, half-terrified.
“Don’t say it… please don’t say it…”
Rohit wiggled his eyebrows.
“SPICE. SYMPHONY.”
Venky dropped the ladle.
“Oh god… oh god… Rohit… I’m not ready… anni perfect ga undali (Everything has to be perfect)… kitchen clean unda? (Is the kitchen clean?) Curry leaves fresh ga unnaya? (Are the curry leaves fresh?) Plates shiny ga unnaya? (Are the plates shiny?)”
Rohit slapped his back.
“Bro, calm down. You look like you’re delivering a baby, not serving food.”
Venky glared.
“This is worse!”
The staff giggled.
Rohit crossed his arms.
“Either way, she’s coming. And you—” he pointed at Venky’s chest— “better not faint.”
Venky took a deep breath.
Today was the day.
Padmaboti Sen was in Hyderabad.
She was coming to Spice Symphony.
And Venky Reddy was about to serve her a meal that might become the beginning of something neither of them expected.
Preparing for Padmaboti
The moment Rohit dropped the bomb, Spice Symphony turned into a battlefield—
and General Venky marched into action.
Venky rushed across the kitchen, sweat forming at his temples as he barked instructions.
“Anni perfect ga undali! (Everything has to be perfect!)
Meeru biryani base start cheyyandi! (Start preparing the biryani base!)
Paneer marinate chesara? (Did you marinate the paneer?)
Garnish ready ga undali! (The garnish should be ready!)”
The staff scrambled behind him like soldiers during an inspection.
He pulled out his signature recipes—
the ones that made Spice Symphony famous:
· Gongura-paneer fusion
· Cashew-cream biryani
· Tamarind-spiced roasted vegetables
· Nannari rose mocktail
· His special coconut-jaggery dessert
He worked like a man possessed.
Rohit leaned against the counter, watching Venky with a mix of amusement and pity.
“Venky… breathe. You look like you’re about to enter the Olympics.”
Venky muttered while tasting a sauce,
“Rohit… nenu chala nervous ga unnanu. (Rohit… I’m very nervous.)
What if she doesn't like the food? What if it’s not perfect? What if—”
Rohit pressed a finger to Venky’s forehead.
“Stop.
Padmaboti is going to love anything your hands touch. You have magic, ra. Magic.”
Venky paused, stunned by the compliment.
His voice softened.
“Ay… magic enti? (Ay… what magic?)
Nenu normal chef ne.” (I’m just a normal chef.)
Rohit rolled his eyes so hard they almost flipped backward.
“Normal chef? Bro, please. People travel across the city to eat your cooking. Influencers cry after tasting your biryani. Food reviewers literally called you ‘the man who can romance vegetables.’”
Venky groaned in embarrassment.
“Evaru ade annaru?” (Who said that?)
“Everyone,” Rohit said proudly.
Venky turned back to his dishes, still nervous, hands trembling slightly as he sprinkled coriander.
Rohit walked up behind him, lowered his voice, and said:
“Venky… relax.
She’s just a person.
A very beautiful person, yes…
but still a person.
Serve her your heart in that plate, and she’ll feel it.”
Venky blinked.
“Heart enti plate lo ista? (My heart? How do I put that on a plate?)”
Rohit facepalmed.
“Figure of speech, ra! Just cook!”
The staff laughed.
But beneath the chaos, there was a quiet sincerity in Venky’s movements.
Every spice, every garnish, every flick of the wrist carried one silent wish:
Let her like my food.
Let her smile because of something I created.
His hands moved with urgency, nervousness…and hope.
The Almost-Meeting
The restaurant shifted from its usual lunch calm to a silent suspense.
Everyone knew.
Everyone waited.
And Venky… was on the verge of a meltdown.
Rohit peeped out from behind the reception counter.
“Ayyo… Venky… she’s here. She’s actually here.”
Venky’s heart dropped straight into his shoes.
“Ekkuva aravaakunda cheppu! (Don’t shout so loudly!)
Nenu ready kaaledu, Rohit! (I’m not ready, Rohit!)”
He immediately ducked behind a pillar, apron half-tied, hair slightly messy from rushing around the kitchen.
His hands trembled like a student seeing the examiner enter the hall.
The glass doors slid open.
Padmaboti Sen stepped inside.
Soft yellow kurta.
Open hair brushing her shoulders.
Eyes filled with gentle curiosity.
A presence so quiet yet so powerful that the entire restaurant seemed to inhale and hold its breath.
The staff stared in awe.
Even the ceiling fans slowed down in respect.
Padmaboti smiled politely at the manager and looked around—absorbing the ambience, the lighting, the faint aroma of spices lingering in the air.
Her eyes turned toward the kitchen area.
Venky, peeping from behind the pillar, froze.
For a split second—
their eyes met.
Or… almost met.
Padmaboti saw someone peeking, but not his full face—just a pair of wide, startled eyes and a half-hidden figure who immediately ducked like he was avoiding snipers.
Padmaboti blinked, surprised.
Was someone hiding from her?
Venky clutched the pillar like his life depended on it.
“Rohit… nenu chachipothanu. (Rohit… I’m going to die.)
She looked this way! Did she see me? Ayyo, did she see me?!”
Rohit shoved him lightly.
“Of course she didn’t! She only saw your big round eyes like some scared forest animal!”
Venky groaned in humiliation.
Padmaboti turned toward her manager and whispered,
“Someone is watching us?”
Trina shrugged.
“Fans, Boti. Happens everywhere.”
Padmaboti nodded, but her gaze flickered again toward the pillar.
There was something strangely familiar…
not visually, but emotionally.
Like she had stepped into a place where someone cared deeply about what she felt.
Inside the kitchen
Venky paced like a nervous bridegroom.
“Rohit… nenu bayamga unnanu. (Rohit… I’m scared.)
What if I mess up? What if she hates my food?”
Rohit slapped his back.
“She won’t even see your face, bro. You’re safe. Just serve.”
Venky took a shaky breath.
Then another.
But outside, Padmaboti had already taken her seat—
and destiny had taken its first step.
She hadn’t seen Venky completely.
He hadn’t seen her fully either.
Just a flicker of eyes.
A moment of shared breath.
A spark that had no name yet.
But the pot was slowly simmering.
And something was starting to cook.
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To be continued.