The Bride - Part 3

"Wake up Anu, please", cried Aai. "Shalu, come here immediately with some salt and mustard. And some red chillies too".

Shalu comes running in the room with the materials asked for. All the guests had gathered outside Anu's room. Jyoti tried to pick up Anu and make her sit. Anu had a slight fever now. Nalini and Shalu swayed the substances on Anu in full swing.

"Lets call the doctor", someone suggested.

"Move aside", said Nalini rushing out of the room and going to the kitchen. Throwing all the swayed items on a hot griddle, "Yes please call Dr.Kulkarni. His number is in the telephone book near the TV." She cried hard in her husband, Ajay's arms, who tried to console her.

A weird, pungent and spicy odor now filled the house. Some sneezed, some coughed. Others just covered their noses and mouths.

Jyoti rested Anu's head on her lap and caressed her like a baby. She too couldn't control her tears now. But she was trying to make sense of the events that had been taking place since they returned home.

"Ouch! whats that?" Jyoti complained removing her hand from below Anu's head. Priya who was sitting next to her, saw that it was the rose flowers little stem that was pricking Jyoti. She took the flower off her head and threw it in the nearby trash can. A couple of moments later, Anu began to wake up.

"What happened here?" she asked.

"Go back to sleep. How are you feeling now?" inquired Jyoti.

"I'm fine, di. Something wrong?"

"You have a slight fever. Take rest for sometime."

"OK" said Anu and she went back to sleep again.

Now Jyoti's mind started working fast. Whats happening? Is it the flowers? No, how can flowers harm anyone? But all these weird things are happening since Anu bought the roses. The phone rang immediately after we took off of the chowk. Whom did she buy the flowers from? Gosh, I don't remember from whom she bought the flowers! Or did I ignore? Something IS wrong here.
She got up from her place and asked Priya to pick up the roses and keep them in the backyard.

"But why?" asked Priya

"Do as I say", ordered Jyoti. "Also pick up that flower from the trash."

Jyoti took some old newspapers and walked to the backyard. She packed the flowers in it and threw it to the corner of the garden.

"See to it that no one touches those", she told Priya.

"Whats happening didi?" asked a curious Priya.

"I think something got wrong when we bought those flowers."

"C'mom now. What are you talking?"

"Think Priya, only after we moved from the chowk we got the flowers, did we get the call about Aaji's hospitalisation. Remember?"

"So?"

"So, I think there is something in the flowers. Remember what Aaji told when we were leaving the house for the parlor? Evil spirits are always in search of young girls and Anu is going to be married soon."

"Wow! Now you talk like Aaji. You know her. She's always talking some superstitious stuff. Please don't be like Aaji!"

"Priya, Aaji may be old. But she has experienced life. You may feel she's just making things up. But I don't think so. There is a reason behind everything."

"Oh didi please!"

"Ok then, why do you think Ram Gopal Varma makes all those movies? And for your info, you watch them!"

Priya bursts out laughing.

"OK, stop it now. I'm serious". She looks at her wrist watch. "Its too late now. First thing in the morning tomorrow, we both will go and find that flower lady on FC Road."

"Are you crazy? Do you think we can find her? These vendors move about everywhere. They don't have a fixed place. Be practical."

"We'll find out a way."

"I hope you remember her face."

"No, I don't. But you do, right? She was standing right behind your window."

"No way! I didn't see!"

"Then what were you doing when Anu was buying those flowers?"

"Oh pleeease..."

"No problem. We'll find some way."

"And how do you think of finding the way?"

"Just let me think now." Jyoti's mind runs fast now.

"I think we should talk about this to Aaji or Nalini Kaku. What say?" suggested Priya.

"They will unnecessarily start worrying."

"Someone other than us should know."

"What are you girls talking? Let me also know", asks Nalini walking towards them. "And Jyoti, why did you throw those flowers?"

"Oh that...."

"I need to know. Just tell me", Nalini said in a strict tone.

"See didn't I tell you? We should have told Nalini Kaku", said Priya.

"OK fine. Before that, has the doctor arrived?" Jyoti inquired.

"Yes, he just gave Anu an injection for fever reduction and sound sleep. He'll come in the morning to check on her again. Now tell me what do you think is wrong with Anu?"

"Well, we just think..."

"We? Not me! You think!" said Priya

"OK! I just think, since the time we got those flowers, things just don't seem to be right. Aaji's hospitalisation, Anu's behavior."

"You maybe right! There can be a connection. These things happen", assured Nalini.

Priya rolls her eyes in a there-you-go-Aaji's-daughter-in-law kind of way.

"So what do you think should we do now?" asked Nalini.

"I and Priya plan to go to FC Road again tomorrow and find the lady who sold us those flowers", said Jyoti.

"OK. Thats a good idea. I hope you remember who sold the flowers to Anu, right?"

Jyoti and Priya look at each other blankly and nod back - Jyoti a "yes" and Priya a "no".

Nalini thumps her palm on her forhead. "One work you young girls can't do properly! Wonder how do you handle responsibilities in your offices! And that Anu! What was the need of buying flowers? Weren't there enough in the house?"

"I did try telling her...."

"Enough now. Go to sleep. You have to wake up in the morning and go in search of that lady." Nalini goes in the house. She comes back with Shalu the maid and instructs her, "Tomorrow first thing in the morning, you along with a male go to the cemetery with those flowers and see to it that they are cremated in a proper manner."

Shalu just nods.

"First I'll just take pictures of those flowers. So that tomorrow we can atleast show the pictures to some vendors who will direct us to that lady. Now I don't dare to carry those roses with me", said Priya rushing in the house to grab her camera.

"Thank God. After a long time she did some intelligent talk!" expressed Jyoti to Nalini.

Priya comes in with camera and takes some pictures. They all go in the house and Shalu latches the door.

"No one goes in the backyard until I say", announces Nalini in the house. She goes in the puja room and prays for the family's well being.


Early next morning Shalu opens the backyard door. She says a silent prayer in the mind, but her lips are moving. She looks around. But nothing. The flowers were missing.

To be continued....