A few days later, Kanchan's injuries had mostly healed.
Walking no longer gave him much trouble. The cut on his elbow had dried and closed.
But he hadn't been able to forget that small accident.
Especially not the girl — Supriya.
One afternoon, he took the card out of his pocket.
BELLA PIZZA
Fresh Pizza, Fresh Smile.
After staring at the card for a while, Kanchan suddenly decided—
he'd go and see the place for himself.
Just before evening, Kanchan reached the shop.
From the outside, it looked quite nice.
But the moment he stepped in, a few things caught his eye.
There weren't many people around.
A customer or two sat here and there, but most of the tables were empty.
Supriya was standing by the counter.
She recognized him the moment she saw him.
— "It's you! How are you now?"
Kanchan smiled.
— "Much better. Because of you, I was able to get proper treatment that day."
Supriya smiled.
— "I only helped a little."
Kanchan looked around, then asked—
— "How's business going?"
Supriya paused for a moment.
— "So-so."
Kanchan didn't say anything more.
He ordered a pizza.
After a while, it was set before him.
He picked up a slice and ate.
His expression changed instantly.
Supriya noticed.
— "What's wrong?"
Kanchan hesitated a little.
— "Can I say something?"
— "Go ahead."
— "Please don't get upset."
Supriya smiled.
— "No, go on."
Kanchan said it plainly.
— "The quality of the pizza needs to improve."
Supriya was taken aback.
— "Where's the problem?"
Kanchan looked at the pizza and said—
— "The dough wasn't made properly. The sauce is a bit heavy too. The amount of cheese is fine, but the baking could've been done better."
Supriya listened in silence. Kanchan went on—
— "The shop looks lovely. But if the food quality isn't good, people won't come back a second time."
Now curious, Supriya asked—
— "You know this much about pizza?"
Kanchan smiled faintly.
— "A little."
Supriya wanted to know—
— "What did you do before?"
Kanchan stayed quiet for a moment.
Then he said,
— "I was studying hotel management."
— "Studying?"
— "Yes. But I couldn't finish the course."
Supriya asked, surprised—
— "Why not?"
Kanchan's face dimmed a little.
— "After my father passed away, things at home fell apart badly. There wasn't enough money to keep paying for my studies."
Supriya listened without a word. Kanchan continued slowly—
— "My father didn't leave much behind. Just running the household became hard. So I had to leave my studies and start working."
— "And after that?"
— "Sometimes small jobs, sometimes temporary work. But nothing steady ever came of it."
He smiled a little and said—
— "I couldn't finish the course, but I never forgot what I learned there."
Supriya asked—
— "Is that where this interest in cooking comes from?"
A little light came into Kanchan's eyes.
— "I love making food. Especially learning something new. While I was studying hotel management, I learned a lot — cooking, kitchen management, food service."
He paused a moment, then added—
— "The dream may have come to a stop, but the wish to make good food never did."
Supriya looked at him closely.
There was knowledge in this young man.
There was confidence.
All that was missing was opportunity.
Kanchan spoke up suddenly.
— "If you'd like, I could make a pizza to show you."
Supriya looked at him, surprised.
— "You?"
— "Yes."
— "Can you really?"
Kanchan smiled softly.
— "You could find out."
Supriya thought about it for a moment.
— "All right. Show me."
Kanchan stepped into the kitchen.
First, he looked over the ingredients for the dough.
Then he said,
— "Let me say one thing first. For truly good pizza, the dough needs time. Ferment it for a few hours, sometimes longer, and both the taste and the texture come out far better."
Supriya listened closely. Kanchan went on—
— "But since orders are coming in right now, let me show you a quick-dough method instead. It's not a substitute for long fermentation, but it can help you get through a busy stretch."
Then he set to work quickly on the dough.
Mixed the ingredients in exact proportions.
Made the sauce.
Adjusted the spices just right.
Showed her how to spread the cheese.
Explained how to arrange the toppings for the best taste and balance.
Finally, the pizza went into the oven.
A few minutes later, it came out, and the whole shop filled with its aroma.
Supriya picked up a slice and ate.
Her eyes widened.
— "This is so much better than before!"
Kanchan smiled.
— "I told you."
Supriya took another bite.
— "If we sold this, people would keep coming back."
Kanchan said—
— "Good pizza alone won't be enough."
— "What else, then?"
— "The pricing needs to be right. The packaging needs to be good. The kitchen needs to stay clean. And the way you treat your customers matters too."
Supriya listened carefully, then said—
— "You don't just know how to make pizza — you understand the business too."
Kanchan smiled.
— "They teach us that in hotel management as well."
Before closing the shop that day, Supriya turned to Kanchan and said—
— "Could you come here every evening for a while?"
Kanchan looked at her, surprised.
— "Why?"
— "You'll make the pizzas. Work on new recipes. And I'll handle the rest of the shop."
Kanchan stayed quiet for a moment. Then he said—
— "So you're offering me a job?"
Supriya smiled softly.
— "Not a job. For now, I'm offering you a chance."
Kanchan looked at her without a word. Supriya continued—
— "Just because you couldn't finish your studies, I don't want everything you learned to go to waste."
For the first time, a small, relieved smile appeared on Kanchan's face.
— "But what if I can really do something good for your shop?"
Supriya smiled.
— "Then why would I only be thinking about a job?"
Kanchan was surprised.
— "What do you mean?"
Supriya said, with a hint of mystery—
— "If you can truly get Bella Pizza on its feet and grow the business, then in the future I won't just see you as an employee."
Kanchan stayed quiet for a moment.
— "Then what?"
Supriya smiled.
— "Time will tell."
This time, a real smile broke across Kanchan's face.
Supriya held out her hand.
— "So — shall we get started?"
Kanchan looked at her hand.
Then he shook it.
— "Let's get started."
Neither of them knew it yet—
that this one small decision would one day change Bella Pizza forever.
And their two lives along with it...