Hyderabad:
Srinivas Raju has been working in a multi-national company in Hyderabad for the past few years. The young man is among thousands who have built their careers in this city - known for its IT prowess - that they now call home. But Raju is anxious, ever since Hyderabad was declared as the shared capital of Andhra Pradesh and the brand-new state of Telangana.
"The political volatility is worrying. It may not impact us straightaway, but just imagine what will happen to so many people in search of livelihood," says Raju, a native of Vijayawada, an industrial town situated in Coastal Andhra, a region that stiffly opposed the bifurcation of the state for the formation of Telangana.
His concerns are likely to find resonance in several others in a city that has a floating population of over 17 percent. The government has announced that Hyderabad will serve as a common capital for the next 10 years, a move viewed as a compromise to calm the two regions, Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema, who objected to the split. But the tussle seems far from over - at stake are the resources and the enormous opportunities that the city provides.
"We are happy that Hyderabad is part of the Telangana region, which means obviously it is with us. Hyderabad is not a joint or shared capital. We are waiting for the final details," said Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief K Chandrasekhara Rao told NDTV.
It is this intense politics over Hyderabad that Bollywood filmmaker Mani Shanker fears may erode the cosmopolitan fabric of the city.
"Politicians of all parties need to give an iron-clad assurance that our way of life, the style of living, and the true spirit of Hyderabad will not change where every citizen is fearless," he said.
While it may take another six months before Hyderabad begins to function as the shared capital, many have already begun to wonder if this City of Nizams will ever be the same again.