My love story with Milind started right here in Hyderabad: Avika Gor

It’s the season of love and we are celebrating it all of February with hand-picked, ‘made in Hyderabad’ love stories that will warm your heart! Everyone’s favourite ‘Balika Vadhu’ Avika Gor lets us in on how love blossomed between her and beau Milind Chandwani when they met each other in the city of nawabs. She may have grown up and attained fame and success in Mumbai, but it was in Hyderabad that Avika Gor found love. Three years ago, the actress met Milind Chandwani for the first time in the City of Pearls. Milind had set up his NGO in the city and Avika was here for a film shoot when they met. “I went out to a party with a few of my friends and that’s where Milind and I spotted each other. It was the first time that Milind was out socialising in Hyderabad, while I’d been in the city shooting for Raju Gari Gadhi 3. We connected instantly at that first meeting itself. After a few days we pinged each other on Instagram and here we are,” shares Avika, adding, “In a way, it all started with Hyderabad. In fact, Milind’s first question to me was. ‘How come you’re here in Hyderabad?’. He had no idea I was doing films in the South.”Before they knew it, friendship had quickly blossomed into love for Milind and Avika. The actress says she still remembers her first date with Milind. Avika says, “After a party one night, Milind offered to drop me home. Enroute, he took a quick detour and took me to a spot in Jubilee Hills from where we can watch the whole city. It was breathtaking. I don’t know if Milind looked at it that way, but for me, it was our first date. And it was at that moment that I realised that this is the person I want to be with.”Although she keeps flying in and out of Mumbai, Avika now calls Hyderabad home, and says the city has given her tremendous joy and love. “Hyderabad is no longer just a city that I go to for shoots. I’m now living here. I have a house near Gachibowli and my family keeps coming to visit as well. I love this city ’cos of how warm people are here. I’ve made a lot of friends here — both within and outside the industry,” says the actress, adding, “Milind and I have no qualms in roaming around freely here in Hyderabad. We love watching movies together so every weekend we visit a mall to watch a film. We also love going to cafes for a brunch or coffee dates. People do recognise us but Hyderabadis are very warm, polite and respectful of your space and privacy. In fact, one of my most special memories here would be when Milind and I went to the BPraak concert here in Hyderabad. It was amazing, cause when I was in Mumbai, I never really got the freedom of being at a concert. But here, I was uninhibited and free.”Avika and Milind love watching the dramatic Deccan sunsets from the little hillocks that dot Hyderabad’s outskirts. “Both of us love the outdoors. We don’t like to do over-the-top things. Our idea of a perfect date is just to sit on the hills and enjoy the view. Whenever I’m shooting at Golconda Fort or some stunning location, I call Milind and ask him to come and we just chill after my shoot is done and take in the stunning views,” says Avika, adding, “There is this place in Gandipet that I discovered during one of my shoots. It’s a secluded area where many people don’t go. When I went there while shooting, I thought to myself that I must come back here with Milind to watch at least one sunset. And we did that. It was magical. Hyderabad is full of these hidden gems and I hope we get to explore more of them together.”While Avika and Milind are very much in love, the actress says marriage isn’t on the cards anytime soon. “We’re at a happy place in our relationship. We’re different kinds of personalities but we accept each other’s quirks and flaws and we try to bring the best out of each other. Marriage can wait, for now we just want to enjoy every moment together,” says Avika, signing off.