𝙒𝙤𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙛 (𝙂𝙭𝙂)

11. Judges.

GANGA'S POV

 
"EVERYONE, ATTENTION!" The chef yelled as we looked at her.
 
"Our restaurant's most important day is today. I want all of you to work like a team and be very careful," she instructed as we nodded.
 
"If anything goes wrong, tell me, and don't panic." 
 
"ALRIGHT?" 
 
"YES,CHEF!" 
 
"When will the judges arrive, chef?" Sarah asked.
 
"They won't be coming in the early hours, but between 2 p.m. and 9 p.m.," the chef said as she nodded.
 
She walked towards the window, picking up notes of orders as she loudly called us.
 
"LUCAS AND DEVID, 2 CHOCOLATE POTS DE CRÈME!" 
 
"Yes, chef!"
 
"James, Alen, one pork souvlaki!" She called out.
 
"On it, chef!" James responded.
 
"Shu-fen and Jenny, work on lamb souvlaki!" She ordered.
 
"Yes, chef!" 
 
"Ok, for now, Sarah will work with Sumaira on the Gnocchi," she said.
 
"Yes, chef!"
 
"Ganga, 1 smashed edemame toast!" 
 
"Yes, chef!"
 

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It was a very chaotic day. In every order, we would look out to check if it was for the judges. We asked the floor manager and the servants if they saw them.
 
Mahi and Sumaira were stressed; it was obvious that I was working on macarons with Lucas.
 
"Don't you think she is panicking the most?" He asked, breaking concentration on the macrons as I glared at them.
 
"You distracted me!" I complained.
 
"Saawyy"
 
"But then again, I have been wondering that too," I admitted.
 
"It's all because of that damn chairman!" he snarled as I looked at him curiously.
 
"Don't stop making the macrons; I'll spill," he said as I nodded, picking up the popping bag with the batter.
 
"He is an old hag," he commented, making me snicker.
 
"Actually, though," he said as I nodded.
 
"It's only been a while since she turned to the head chef. Actually, the old head chef was fired, all because he was not able to enter the top 10 ranks," he ranted.
 
"So that's why she is resistant to getting it?" I asked as he nodded.
 
"I still remember that day. Mahi cried so much and begged the chairman to give the chef another chance, but it didn't work." 
 
"She must have been attached to them." I sympathized, feeling bad for her.
 
"Yeah, he was like her first mentor; she almost resigned, but then both of us became very attached and decided to power through," he said, sounding serious for once.
 
"You guys are close?" I asked as he gagged.
 
"Nah, never,"
 
"What's wrong with being close with her?" I asked, feeling partially offended.
 
"Well, she is like a ghost, and she also hates moving; you will see her active only in the kitchen and when she is riding her baby."
 
"Riding her, what?" I snapped as he looked at me, worried.
 
"I mean her bike, not a human," he blurted as I let out a sigh of relief.
 
"You scared me," I confessed as he chuckled evilly.
 

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"Behind!" I said as the chef turned.
 
"Great!" She grabbed the plate, passing it to the window. She turned, working on a stir fry, but then I saw the floor manager come running.
 
"Where is the head chef?" She asked nervously.
 
"CHEF!" I called her, and the floor manager hit the bell aggressively, making a run towards the window.
 
"WHAT?" She yelled, but the floor manager didn't budge.
 
"The judges are hearing; stay attentive!" She warned.
 
I felt my heart drop as I looked at the chef. She looked calm, taking a couple of deep breaths as she turned around.
 
"EVERYONE, THE JUDGES ARE HERE. STAY CALM AND WORK SMARTLY!" She yelled, and I saw the panic grow in everyone's face. It was the interns who seemed the most scared.
 
"What about the orders?" the chef asked.
 
"Jean is taking it," she said as Chef nodded.
 
We worked for a while, working on other customers' orders. 
 
"God, I'm terrified," I hear Sumaira say.
 
"Ya, stay calm; her main order was to stay calm," I reminded her as she sighed.
 
"It's like, we have been losing for years; I really hope we don't mess up this time," she said as I patted her shoulder.
 
"It's okay; we will do our best," I comforted.
 
It didn't fail to get noticed by the interns too—how nerve-wracking the atmosphere has turned.
 
Usually, we are all scared of the head chef, but seeing her be nervous makes everyone more scared.
 
The floor manager rang the bell as she whispered something to the chef.
 
She hut the counter in frustration but nodded.
 
"ALRIGHT GUYS!"
 
"James Maine lobster consemue," 
 
"Yes, chef,"
 
"Alen and Jenny, plate and get the entire caviar and oysters ready."
 
"Yes, chef,"
 
"Lucas, egg custard with bread and butter," 
 
"Heard!"
 
"Ganga, cauliflower steak, and scallops,"
 
"Okay, chef," 
 
"Sarah and Shu-fen work on the ahi tuna, served rare with a citrus-based soy sauce." 
 
"Okay, chef,"
 
"Huan, carnaroli risotto!" 
 
"On it, chef,"
 
"Sumaira and Elijah, roulade de veaue,"
 
"Yes, chef!"
 
"David, with me on Duck Foie Gras," 
 
"Yes, chef!" 
 
I began working on my cauliflower, running to get the head of a cauliflower as I kept the pan on the stove. 
 
I sliced the cauliflower in and got my pan ready. I added oil and garlic as I let it heat up.
 
Upon grabbing the cauliflower, I placed it in it once the temperature reached the proper temperature.
 
I turned to the garnish; upon grabbing the garlic, I chopped it finely, along with the parsley and basil.
 
I gave them a rough chop and added it to the garnish. Next were shallots, which I cut to my desired length.
 
I grabbed the mustard, salt, pepper, brown sugar, and finally, the red wine vinegar.
 
After a minute of it, the cauliflower was finally done, and I took the garnish, which was kept in a bowl.
 
"Ganga, can I help?" 
 
I looked in the direction and saw Zoya come towards me, worried.
 
"What happened?" I asked softly.
 
"I really want to help, but because of the last incident, the chef isn't really letting me do anything aside from cutting vegetables." She said I felt bad, so I agreed.
 
What could go wrong?
 
"Sure, you want to help me prepare the scallops?" 
 
"Yes!" She was excited as I smiled. 
 
"I have to plate the cauliflower steak, so work on the scallops," I said as she nodded.
 
"Okayyy," she said as she went to get the scallops.
 
I focused on the cauliflower; platinng it was extremely important since you definitely eat with your eyes first. So I had to take good care of it.
 
I carefully placed the cauliflower right in the center, using a tissue to clean the edges. I carefully took a spoonful of garnish, gulping as I was about to pour it.
 
"GANGA!" I heard her shout, and I flinched, dropping the garnish on the table instead of the cauliflower.
 
"What?" I asked, worried.
 
To my horror, I saw a burnt pan and a scared Zoya.
 
"Wh...what should I do?" She asked, looking petrified. I took a deep breath.
 
"It's okay, I'll take care of it," I said, taking the pan.
 
"GANGA, IS THE STEAK DONE?"
 
Oh, shit....
 
"YEAH, JUST COMING!" I yelled as I looked at the burnt pan.
 
If I tell her this now, it will mess it up more.
 
"Listen, can you work on the bed of spinach?" I asked as she nodded.
 
"Get that ready!" I said as she nodded.
 
I quickly added the garnish, finally plating it as I walked towards the head chef.
 
"BEHIND!" I shouted, and she turned as she looked at the cauliflower steak. She inspected it for a minute, checking if everything was alright.
 
"Good," she mumbled as I nodded.
 
"Are the scallops done?" She asked, putting the cauliflower steak in the window.
 
"It will be out in a minute, chef." 
 
"Quick,"
 
I ran back to my counter. Zoya was working on the spinach as I took a quick glance at her.
 
"Zoya, pass me the oil," I instructed.
 
She quickly picked up a bowl of oil, which made me frown.
 
"Where is this oil from?" 
 
"I just took it," she said as I nodded.
 
I poured the oil, waiting for it to lightly heat up. After that, I took the scallops.
 
Cooking them was easy; just wait for the colour and occasionally flip them.
 
"ALEN, WHERE THE FUCK IS THE MOTHER OF PEARL SPOON?" chef shouted, making Jenny run to get the spoon.
 
"Sorry, chef!" He said. I turned my attention back to the scallops.
 
I waited for the colour to appear, and once it did, I was satisfied with the cooking.
 
"Spinach over?" 
 
"Yes," 
 
She took the spinach, plating it. I slowly took the scallops, making sure the plating looked right. 
 
I planted each scallop carefully, making them look as neat as possible. I could feel Zoya trying to watch me carefully. 
 
I took the plate, going towards the chef as I yelled.
 
"BEHIND!" 
 
She turned, taking the plate as she inspected it. She was about to ask me something when there was a ring on the window.
 
Now, even though the judges are here, the customers are also pouring in, so we keep getting orders in the middle of it.
 
"Ganga, are you done with your course?" She asked as I nodded.
 
"Yes, chef,"
 
"Okay, one salmon, medium-rare," she ordered.
 
"Ok, chef,"
 
I went to Stephen, getting my salmon as I took it to my counter. 
 
It was an ideal piece, so I could start right away.
 
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"Do you think we will get it?" Lucas asked.
 
We were working on one of the customers desserts, and the last course of dessert was just for the judges.
 
"I think we will," I mumbled as he sighed.
 
"I really hope we do," he responded.
 
"Because there is one mistake, she will behead us, and she will later get beheaded," he said as I chuckled.
 
"Sounds scary," 
 
Our conversation was broken when we heard a ring; it was the floor manager as she looked around.
 
"Mahi, where are you?" she yelled.
 
The head chef was helping Huan garnish something; she was concentrating hard, but hearing the voice of the floor manager, she shot up.
 
"Yes?" She asked, going near the window.
 
"The judges are asking for you," the floor manager said.
 
"Oh, shit," Lucas mumbled as I looked at him.
 
"I think we messed up," he said, his eyes on the floor manager.
 
"Maybe we did good, and they want to appreciate us?" I said this as he shook his head.
 
I looked at the head chef; she seemed to just freeze. The floor manager said something, making her nod as she turned around.
 
"Ganga and James, you are in charge; I'll come right back," she said, walking towards the door.
 
She paused, holding the handle, taking a deep breath. She was out of the kitchen.
 
MAHI'S POV
 
Oh, god, save me.
 
"What's the matter?" I asked, and the floor manager looked tensed as she walked me towards the judge.
 
"They were enjoying everything, but it seems like something is bothering them," she said as I felt my heart drop.
 
Stay calm. Stay calm.
 
We finally reached the dining hall; it was lightly dim but had an amazing ambiance. The customers seemed to enjoy their meals; finally, my eyes caught the two men, who I assumed were the judges.
 
"The creme and navy blue," she said. I nodded as I put on my friendliest smile.
 
"This is our head chef; she is the one who runs everything back in the kitchen," the floor manager said as the two men nodded.
 
They seemed not that old, around the mid-30s to the 40s. 
 
"First of all, I would like to appreciate the overall meal." One of the judges said as I smiled, almost getting nausious with nervousness.
 
"The lobster was amazing, cooked to perfection," he said as I smiled.
 
"Thank you,"
 
"And also the egg custard; it was one of the best I have had in awhile," the other judge said. I nodded.
 
"The caviar was amazing as well; we appreciate the Mother of the pearl spoon since some previous participants seemed to forget it," he said as I began to get more nervous.
 
If it were just compliments, it would have been over, but they keep on going, so something must have gone wrong.
 
"Unfortunately," 
 
That was it; I felt my heart stop.
 
"The scallops," he said, making me frown as I was totally shocked. 
 
Scallops?
 
"It had a burnt taste," the other judge said. As my blood ran cold, I nodded, trying to keep a positive look on my face.
 
"And the most disappointing part of the meal," 
 
There is more.
 
"Spinach; it was bland." 
 
Those words felt like a sting in the heart. I tried to keep my composure, putting on a smile that turned into a grimace. 
 
"I'm sorry, but I don't think we can consider this meal a win," he said as I swallowed the lump, that formed in my throat as I nodded.
 
"Better luck next time," they said as I smiled, doing a tiny bow as I watched them get up and leave.
 
The room felt cold all of a sudden, and my chest was heavy as I could feel my stomach churn at this new level of embarrassment I had unlocked.
 
I felt the tears threaten to come out as I took a deep breath, looking up at the ceiling as I bit my tongue.
 
"Hey, take it easy; it's okay," I heard the floor manager say.
 
The servers came, taking the plates, but then one caught my eye.
 
Scallops.
 
It seemed like they didn't even finish it. I took the plate as I grabbed a clean fork, taking a bite at one of the scallops.
 
Burnt.
 
They didn't lie; it had an aftertaste of something quite faded and burned. 
 
I grabbed the spinach, and it was bland—not an ounce of flavour.
 
I stared into the plate, feeling the anger reach my brain as I took the plate. walking towards the kitchen.
 
I opened the door, throwing the plate on one of the counters as the room fell silent.
 
"Every single meal was amazing!" I yelled, and all of the staff looked at me, waiting for the next sentence. Alen walked forward as James was behind him.
 
"Except...the scallops," I said, pointing at them.
 
"Ganga, come forward," I said. She quickly came out, looking nervous as she looked at the scallops.
 
"Eat," I instructed, and she slowly came as she took a bite. I didn't look in her direction; I just waited for the justification.
 
"I'm sorry, chef," she mumbled.
 
"Taste the spinach," I instructed, and she did.
 
"What is this shit that you served?" I asked as she looked down.
 
"Look at me when I am talking!" I shouted as she flinched, looking at me as she pressed her lips into a firm line.
 
"You made all those amazing scallops, just to fuck it up today?" I asked as she remained silent.
 
"ANSWER ME!" I yelled as she reminded me to be silent. I was about to say more when I heard another sound.
 
"Chef, sorry, it was my fault." I looked in the direction, and it was Zoya. She walked towards me, looking scared, as she said.
 
"Actually, chef, I was the one who made it; I wanted to help, so I worked on the spinach," she said, looking scared as her tears came down.
 
"You?" I asked, not understanding how the fuck this happened.
 
"Yeah, and the scallops, I think it was because I burned the previous ones, but I drained the oil and used it, which might have given it the burnt taste; I only realised that after sending it, please, I'm so sorry, chef," she cried as I felt my whole body go numb.
 
"You burned the scallops?" I asked as she nodded.
 
"And you didn't bother to tell me?" I asked.
 
"I didn't tell you," I heard Ganga say out of nowhere.
 
"I didn't want you to get more worried,"
 
"So, you decided not to inform me?" I asked as she nodded. 
 
Her face confused me; it looked firm, not showing guilt or anger.
 
"I'm sorry, chef," I heard Zoya say.
 
"Ganga, who do you think you are?" I asked as she looked at me, surprised.
 
"Tell me, who are you?" I asked, crossing my arm.
 
"Are you the head chef?" I asked as she shook her head.
 
"ANSWER ME, DAMMIT!" I yelled.
 
"No, chef,"
 
"Then, why the fuck would you let an intern handle a whole entire dish when it was YOUR FUCKING DUTY?" I questioned her as I saw her gulp.
 
"Because you let everyone get involved; Sarah was working, Shu-fen was working, then why didn't you let her also get involved?" She asked as I felt my blood boil.
 
"SHU-FEN!"
 
"Yes, chef!" She responded immediately.
 
"Are you the one preparing the fish?" 
 
"Yes, chef"
 
"Did the fish go to the judges without being checked for taste by James?" 
 
"No, chef"
 
"Elijah!" 
 
"Yes, chef"
 
"Did your dish go to the judges without being tasted, by Sumaira?" 
 
"No, chef,"
 
"Everyone had an experienced staff taste and check their dish before sending it off," I fumed as she looked around nervously.
 
"Did you taste it?" I asked.
 
"I tasted the scallops." 
 
"Then was it me who was supposed to taste the spinach?" I asked as she gulped, her eyes filling up.
 
"Tell me, was it the chairman?" I asked as she shook her head, biting her lips as I saw her face get a tint of red.
 
"But chef, I followed the recipe to the brick," Zoya said as I groaned.
 
"Listen, Zoya, I don't care how accurately you follow the recipe; I want the food to be fresh and taste good," I snarled as she nodded.
 
"You are an intern working in a kitchen like this for the first time; the person who was supposed to assist you should have been careful," I said as she looked down.
 
"And you, the one. who thinks she is the head chef, do you know what you are even doing?" I asked as Ganga looked at me with tearful eyes.
 
"Don't show me those tears; it won't fix anything," I yelled as she looked down.
 
"First you hid the fact that a whole pan was burned, and then you let an intern serve a dish without tasting it, and moreover, you are an employee yet you made an intern SERVE THE FUCKING DISH," I yelled as she looked down. tears falling as I heard the whimper.
 
"Fuck off," I said as I took the scallops, throwing them in the bin.
 
"ALL OF YOU BACK TO WORK!" I yelled.
 
Everyone walked back, and I saw her still stand in the same place as I sighed, getting annoyed.
 
"Now do you need a special invitation?" I asked as she glared at me with tearful eyes.
 
"I hate you," she said with tearful eyes, catching me off guard.
 
"You are the meanest person I have ever seen," she yelled, sniffing in between as she wiped her tears.
 
"Done?"
 
"No, I seriously hate you, and you are the worst!" She yelled before walking back. I saw her walk towards the storage room before turning to me, passing me a glare as she shut the door.
 
Idiot..
 

TO BE CONTINUED 
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A/N
 
I feel bad for my baby, but then my other baby is going to get wrecked.