His Innocent Queen

1//✨A Widow

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"Can't you even do a work correctly?" Binita Rao, Jivika's bua shouts slapping the poor girl harshly making her fall on the floor.

"I-I-I have mopped the fl-o-or, bua." Jivika replies stuttering badly because of how much her face is paining.

"So, you are trying to say that I am lying!" Binita yells kicking Jivika in the stomach making the already weeping girl scream in pain.

"I want you to clean the floor again before the guests arrive." By saying this Binita walks out of there leaving crying Jivika in the living room.

Although she is feeling a lot of pain, still Jivika stands up with the help of the couch. She wipes the nonstop fallen tears with the back of her hands. She then timidly walks toward the mop bucket which is not toppled over scattering all the dirty water on the floor. Her bua has kicked the bucket deliberately making the once clean floor dirty again.

This has become a daily routine for Jivika. Her days start with beatings from her bua and end with taunts from her dadi. She doesn't even get to eat a meal without getting insulted. She tries very hard to please her bua and dadi but it seems nothing she does is enough to make them show her a little love.

They keep on reminding her how unlucky she is because as soon as she was born, her mother died. Her father also died when she was only four years old. Not only that, her husband died just after six months of marriage making her in-laws throw her out of their house.

At first, she used to hide from getting beaten up but soon realized the more she hid the more painful beating she would receive. So, now she just endures everything without any protest.

She starts cleaning the floor again and after half an hour she is done. She then goes to her room which used to be a store room. She has cleaned and decorated the room as much as she can. Still, she can't escape from the raindrops that fall on the bed because of the poor condition of the roof.

She quickly takes a shower with cold water as she is not allowed to have hot water. She then takes out a salwar suit out of the small suitcase that she keeps under the bed.

She looks at the small mirror in her room and feels like crying. She so badly wants to wear different colors but her bua and dadi have denied saying a widow can't wear any other color than white.

She used to wear different colors but after the death of her husband, her life has become fully dull. She can't even wear any accessories according to the custom that a widow should always follow.

Thankfully, she gets to keep her long hair which reaches to till her waist. It's very hard to manage them as the volume of her hair is too much. So, most of the time she just keeps them in a bun.

After she is done getting ready, she walks into the kitchen to prepare for the lunch. The guests will be here a few hours later so she has time to prepare everything.

She doesn't know what they like so she will just prepare some of authentic Maharashtrian recipes. She starts the preparation and after two hours everything is ready.

She has cooked Zunka Bhakri, Puran Poli, Misal Pav and Tendli Bhaat. Afterward, she cleans the kitchen not wanting to leave any mess that can get her in trouble.

Just as She is going back to her room, she hears the doorbell ring. Knowing that guests must have come, she quickly puts the dupatta over her face so that no outsider should see her face. Again another ritual for being a widow.

"Jivika, get water for the guests." She hears dadi's voice.

Without delaying she fills two glasses with water. After putting the glasses on a tray she walks out of the kitchen and make her way to the living room.

"Put the tray here and go arrange the dining table for lunch." Janki Rao, Jivika's dadi orders to which she hurriedly nods her head.

The guests have come from Rajasthan which is very far away from here. She has heard from her bua that they are very big people and they're going to stay the night at their house. Though she doesn't know why they have come here.

Soon dadi and bua come to the dining area along with the guests, one girl and one boy. But Jivika's eyes widen when she notices what the girl is wearing.

She is wearing a white shirt along with black coat on top and black pants. The girls in the village are never allowed to wear such clothes.

"Why are you standing like a booth? Serve the food." Bua says with a stern voice.

Jivika quickly serves the food to everyone and stand aside. She just hopes the guests like the food or the beating will be very harsh.

"Wow, I have never tasted such tasty Maharashtrian food. Who made these?" The girl asks.

"Jivika has made them." Dadi replies.

"Are you Jivika?" This time the boy asks.

"Yes, she is." Bua replies without giving Jivika a chance to say something.

"But why is she hiding her face?" The girl asks making Jivika bite her lips in nervousness.

"She is a widow and according to the custom of our village widow's should not show their face to outsider." Dadi answers.

"But in this modern era, who follows this type of rule?" The girl questions.

"You are from a big town so you may not be familiar with the rules of villages. But things are very different here and she has to follow the rules." Dadi replies sternly which means she doesn't want to talk any further.

But Jivika thinks the girl is not ready to back out.

"I am sorry but you are totally wrong. Today, a lot of villages have changed their customs and they have accepted the changes happening in the society. I think you should also consider changes." Jivika's heartbeat fasten listening to the firm voice of the girl.

"Look, you are a guest for the night at my house. So, be like a guest and don't put your nose in our family matters." Dadi says and walks out of there.

"Jivika will show you your room." This is said by bua who also follows dadi.

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