Some Like It Sweet! (*Wattpad Featured Story*) #Wattys2015

Chapter 1-Early Morning Horrors

Author's Note- The very first chapter is dedicated to naina453. Here's to our little talks ;)

Dev Malhotra was fuming.

He had started this bright, sunny morning on a high note. He had slept restfully all of last night, had been getting ready for work at a relaxed and leisurely pace and had treated himself to a breakfast of blueberry pancakes and strong coffee. Most other days he did not even have time to eat before he rushed off to work.

Today was different. He was sure it was going to be a spectacular day-that was, until he picked up the newspaper and started reading.

Being a successful professional chef who owned his own restaurant 'Vanya', Dev always gravitated towards the 'Food' column of the newspaper first. Often when he was buried neck-deep in work, he read nothing in the newspaper but the column of the food critic.

The food section of 'The Chronicler' (his preferred newspaper) was handled by a woman called Meera Sachdev. She was a stunning woman, highly sought-after by chefs who wanted their restaurants reviewed. She was young, but that did not detract from her impeccable taste in food, and she was widely considered an authority in the industry.

The very same woman, this Meera, had walked into his beloved restaurant three days back, unannounced, had eaten three courses of the wonderful food prepared in his kitchen and had then written THIS? He had been on leave from the kitchen that day, but he trusted his staff enough to know that she had been given tip-top service. Then how could she have written these blasphemous words?

He could see those blasted lines even with his eyes closed-they were burnt into his brain.

"...the food at Vanya is among the best you will ever eat in your life. The meat is cooked just right, the seasoning is spot on. But that is where you should stop, right before the final course. The reason, dear reader, is that dessert at Vanya will shock your taste buds-and not in a good way. They tend to make their desserts too sweet. All you get in each bite is a mouthful of sugar; atleast that was the case with my Chocolate Pavlova. It almost destroyed the experience of the previous courses..."

He flung the newspaper away and pushed away the half-eaten pancakes in disgust.

He needed to have a chat with this woman.

P.S. The photograph on the side is how I imagine Dev. What do you think? ;)