Haveli

Author's pov

Next morning Durga got ready in her same dark green salwar, litghly faded  which her grandmother bought her two years back. For her it was her lucky salwar. Whever she is going to some important work she wears it.

Durga was walking behind her friend Rupa on a narrow village path leading to the Thakur's haveli, her worn chappal clicking against the stones.

Durga  : "aur kitni dur chalni hai?" She asked looking at her friend.

Rupa : "Bas thodi aur... pohchne bale hai" She said assuring her.

Durga  : "woh agar koi sawal puchhe toh mein kya bolungi?" She asked nervously.

Rupa : "are woh thodi na tujhe ganit ke sawal puchhenge... woh sayed tujhe kya kaam ata hai is bare puchenge. Tu woh log jo puchhe uska jabab de dena" She said walking beside her.

Durga nods and they both worked for few more minutes. They stopped in front of a massive iron gate, a guard standing there, looked at them sharply.

Guard : "kya kaam hai?" He eyes Durga from head to toe.

Rupa : "Neyi ladki hai ... kaam ke liye ayi hai."

Guard  : "thik hai .. isse andar Minakshi ke pass le ja."

Rupa took Durga inside the haveli. Durga was shocked see this marvelous house, she never thought a house could be this big. Rupa told her to stand there quitely until she don't come. Rupa then went inside the kitchen to call Minakshi. She was looking around it when a lady in her fifties came there wiping her hands with her pallu.

Minakshi  : "to tu woh ladki hai jisne ise kaam ke liye bola tha?" She asked her sternly, her eyes roams keenly from her head to toe.

Durga  : "ji haan malkin... " She said nervously, looking down.

Minakshi  : "mei is ghar ki malkin nehi hu..  mei to sirf iha kaam karti hu... malkin log itni subha niche bhi nehi utarte"

Durga : "j-ji"

Minakshi : "kya kya kaam ata hai tujhe?" She said in a heavy voice.

Durga : "bartaan.. pocha... roti belna bhi ati hai thoda bohot" She stammered, unsure even if her voice has reached the lady.

Minakshi  : "Teri gale mein zor nehi hai hai kya... khati nehi hai kya?... zor se bol, mujhe sunai kaam deti hai" She said loudly.

Durga  : "ji.. woh bartaan, pocha, thodi thodi khana banana... sab ata hai" She said, her voice little louder this time.

Minakshi looking at her thin, weak body doubting her skill.

Minakshi  : "is patli sarir mein kar paygi itna kaam?"

Rupa : "haan chachi iye sarri kaam kar legi.. iye sirf dikhti dugli patli hai par bohot takat hai isme" She said, assuring Minakshi.

Minakshi thought for few minutes the spoke up.

Minakshi  : "phir lag ja kaam par abhi se... pagad iha 200 rupey milega usse zyada nehi.. agar manzoor hai tohi kaam pe ana.. barna mujhe faltu ke jhamele pasand nehi" She said, taking put a paan which was wrapped at the edge of her pallu.

Rupa : "iye mere sath shaam ko kaam ke ayegi chachi... iye bhi mere sath school jati hai to subhe kaam pe nehi aa payegi"

Minakshi  : "to jaldi chale ana dono.. pata hai na sham ko kitne kaam hote hai"

Rupa  : "thik hai chachi... to hum ab chalte hai... dupeher ko school chutti ho jane ke bad chale ayenge"

Minakshi nods and they both came back from there. Then they both went to school like usual. After their school they both went to their home to get ready to go to the haveli. Durga wore her same salwar she wore in morning and went to Rupa's house to call her after telling her grandmother. They both went to the haveli when the sun was still brightly visible.

At The Haveli :

They went inside the haveli asked the guard where Minakshi was. After getting know they both went to kitchen...

Rupa : "hum agaye chachi ... kya kaam hai batao?" She asked to Minakshi.

Durga stood there silently beside Rupa, waiting to know the work to do.

Minakshi  : "tu ja.. jake gayo ko chara deke aa aur tu... neyi ladki.. tera naam kya hai?" She told Rupa to give food to the cows and asked Durga her name as she didn't ask her at morning.

Rupa : "ji Durga hai iska naam" She replied.

Minakshi : "iye gungi hai kya?" She asked gesturing at Durga.

Rupa : "nehi to"

Minakshi  : "phir tu kyu bol rehi hai iska naam .. ise bolne de... tu ja gayo ko chara deke aa" She said in a angry voice making Rupa immediately go from there.

Minakshi  : "bata tera naam kya hai?"

Durga : "j-ji... Durga hai mera naam" She stuttered.

Minakshi  : "tere gale mein kharas hai kya?"

Durga : "nehi to" She said shaking her head as no.

Minakshi  : "to zor se bola kar aur aise hakla mat"

Durga : "ji" She nods.

Minakshi  : "ja... woh log woha par matar chil rehe hai woha ja kar matar chil aur phir rasoi saf kar dena, phir pichhe woha par ek kamra hai woh saaf kar dena.."

Durga : "thik hai" She nods looking down.

Durga was really scared of this woman. Her high pitch voice makes her finch everytime she hears it. Even though she always keeps blabbering like a chatter box but she can't speak a word properly in front of this lady.

She went inside the kitchen and saw there a woman was peeling peas. She went there and told her she was a new maid there.

Shanta : "ei chhori ... tera naam kya hai?" She asked her.

Durga : "ji Durga hai mera naam" She said with a small smile while peeling the peas.

Shanta : "umar kitni hai teri?..shaadi ho geyi teri?"

Shanta being a typical Indian auntie, started asking her those questions usually asked by aunties.

Durga : "ji mei 16 saal ki hu... aur meri shaadi nehi huyi hai abhi" She said with a awkward smile.

She was quite used to get asked these questions but everytime someone ask it she feels awkward.

She kept asking weird questions to Durga. She finished peeling the peas then she cleaned the kitchen as she was told to.

After cleaning the kitchen she was going to the backyard room to clean it when Shanta again stopped her.

Shanta : "ruk ... jaldi se chaye bana 20 logo ke liye... Thakur saheb ne ajj panchayet bulai hai... aur banane ke bad woh Rupa ke sath de kar ana un logo ko... aur sun.. apna sar dhak lena dupatte se.. woha sare mard hai"

Durga nods and Shanta went outside from there.

She never made tea for this many people, she was worried what if she wouldn't be able to make it properly. Leaving a heavy sigh she finally put a big pot on the clay stove. She put all the ingredients in it and was waiting for it to boil. Rupa came inside the kitchen in hurry and said...

Rupa : "are hua tera chai... jaldi chal.. woh log woha par chaye mang rehe hai" She said in hurry.

Durga : "haan nikal ti hu... tu cup nikal... mein usme dal dungi"

Rupa then took out the cups and filled the cups with tea. They arranged those tea filled cup carefully on treys went outside holding the trees carefully.

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