𝟏𝟓𝟐𝟗: 𝐀 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐑𝐚𝐣𝐩𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐚| Indian Historical Fiction

30| Kuch to log kahenge

Shefali stood leaning against the kitchen's door frame, looking at her fellow maids' work, blankly.

She wondered if Eshant had already left like he said last day. Probably he went off while she slept last night.

"Baisa!"

Shakti hugged her from behind bringing her back to present.

"Shakti, don't step inside alright?"

Tara reminded her with a toothy smile.

Shakti stuck out her tongue at Tara.

Tara was her best companion out of all the maids but they fought a lot too. That was their kind of friendship.

"What are you up to today?"

Shefali said turning around, holding her shoulders gently.

"Aai has asked me to tell you that you need to cook today"

Shakti informed.

Shefali frowned and looked into the kitchen.

The cook is already there making a certain curry.

"Aai told you that?"

Shefali asked.

"She did"

Shakti said with a crossed brow.

Shefali laughed pinching her fluffy cheeks gently.

"Raag jano shob shomoy naker dogae thake"

(Anger as if stays on the tip of your nose always)

Shefali said in her mother tongue tapping Shakti's nose.

Shakti broke into a smile and ran off.

Shakti had started learning a bit of Bengali since Shefali was not good at Hindi. She spoke in a certain way in between proper Hindi and Bengali but people here seemed to understand her anyway.

As Shakti was just a kid, she was the only one Shefali had decided to teach her language to and she asked Shakti to correct her whenever she spoke wrong Hindi.

They shared a sweet friendship everyone admired in the maid sector of the Palace.

Shefali walked down the hall and finally met Aai sitting and stirring the sweet syrup in the huge pot.

"Where is that little tornado? I asked her to call you so long ago"

Aai exclaimed as soon as she saw Shefali walking toward her.

"What did you call me for?"

Shefali asked peeping into the delicious-looking syrup inside.

"We all had almost forgotten about Rani-sa's mother. She is very strict about the customs of widows. We all have walked into the regular kitchen several times in the morning. We cannot cook for her in the separate kitchen today. You woke up late and went to the garden to pick flowers so I thought maybe you could cook for her just for today"

Aai requested with an embarrassed face.

So many years into my duties and I still make such mistakes, she thought to herself.

After Shefali saw what she did to Ekta yesterday, she had no intention of doing anything for that old woman but it was about Aai's reputation and she could not throw away the idea that she should not be partial to anyone about anything related to food.

Her Dadu had told her several stories about how people refused to give food to the beggars just because of caste or their profession and she has always hated such judgemental people. How could she turn into one? She won't.