The Bride - Part 6

Meanwhile Jyoti and Priya are already on FC Road. They are making their way through the morning traffic and their eyes searching for a particular lady. It was quite a task as they didn't know how the lady looked. There were a few flower vendors, but they were either small girls or young boys. One more problem was that, not all vendors sold flowers and it wasn't necessary that what they sold yesterday, they would sell today.

"So, what do you think we should do?" asked Priya.

"Lets ask someone". Jyoti stops by the curb and looks around. "Hey girl!", Jyoti calls out to a flower girl who has a bunch or two of fresh sunflowers in her hand.

"You want some sunflowers, tai?" asks the young flower girl. Her skin was tanned and almost black due to the harsh Pune sun.

"How much for them?" asks Jyoti.

"Only Rs.50."

"Too expensive."

"Then how much do you want it for?"

Jyoti looks at the flowers. "Are these yesterdays?"

"No tai!" came an instant reply. "I got them today morning."

"They look stale", says Jyoti though the flowers were absolutely fresh. She tries to start a conversation and gives her a look, "I remember you. Yesterday you were selling the same flowers."

Priya rolls her eyes and gave a slight laugh looking downwards.

"No way! Its todays. Yesterday I was selling those little Chinese Buddha statues."

"Oh. Then it maybe someone else."

"Do you want to buy these or no?" the girl seemed bugged at them now.

"No! too expensive", saying so Jyoti started her Scooty and rode off leaving the girl uttering some bad words for them.

Priya laughed out loud now. "So whose next?"

They try the same trick with next 7-8 vendors. But its of no help. It was more than 2 hours they had left home. They decide to go back. But they want to give a last try. Now they look around properly and spot an elderly lady sitting with a heap of flowers. They drive towards her and park their vehicle nearby.

"How much for a bunch of roses?" Jyoti asks.

"No, no. I don't sell these flowers directly to customers. Wholesale buying only", replied the lady. She was a not-so-very fat lady, but looked experienced in her job. She was making garlands when the duo approached her.

"Then who buys from you?"

"Those vendors there whom you will find at the traffic signals."

"How long have you been selling these flowers?"

"6 years now!", came a proud reply.

"Wow! So you maybe knowing all the vendors by now."

"Yes, most of them."

"We need some help, maushi", said Jyoti going near the lady, with sense of slight achievement.

"Did anyone trouble you girls? Let me know. I'll stop selling flowers to those rowdy boys. Two penny's in their pockets and they behave like Rutvik Roshan."

"Hrithik Roshan, maushi", corrects Priya.

"Same thing! Tell me now what you want to know."

"We are looking for a lady who sold us flowers yesterday."

"How did she look like?"

"We don't know."

"Then how do you expect me to help you?"

"We were here on FC Road yesterday late afternoon. My cousin sister bought some flowers from a lady. But we don't know who the lady was."

"Which kind of flowers?"

"Roses. Crimson red."

"Oh well, you see around 20-25 vendors bought roses from me yesterday."

"But there maybe only a few who bought crimson red color roses, right?" quipped Priya.

"Hmm. Let me think. But its not necessary that they buy any particular color. Some buy 2-3 different varieties of flowers."

"Try to remember, please", Jyoti tried to push hard.

"Now you girls first tell me," the lady looked irritated, as she was getting disturbed in her daily routine, "what is it exactly you want to know!"

"Oh sorry, maushi", Jyoti tried to calm the lady. "Some weird things happened with my cousin just after buying the flowers, so we thought of checking it."

"If wierd things start happening on buying flowers, people will stop buying them and sellers like us will have no where to go. Talk some sense, girl!"

"Don't get angry, please."

"You have come to ruin my business in the morning. Go now."

"Oh please help us. You are our last chance", Jyoti tries hard by getting tears in her eyes.

"You don't know how she looked, how can I help you? And can I know what is it that exactly happened to your sister?" the lady mellows down a bit.

"Well, our sister is getting married tomorrow", Jyoti starts telling all the incidents that happened last evening. "And today morning when we woke up, the flowers were missing. A neighbor saw a lady carrying the flowers in the wee hours of the morning, from our garden."

"Kusum!" said the lady in a soft voice, covering her mouth. She was taken aback by Jyoti's talk.

"What? Who?" asked Priya and Jyoti. They couldn't hear clearly what the lady said.

"No, nothing", the lady stopped working and looked lost.

"Do you know her? Please tell us", pleaded Jyoti.

"We want our sisters marriage to be good", said Priya.

"Your sister is getting married, you said. Where did you buy those flowers?" asked the flower-lady.

"Just 2 chowks back", replied Jyoti.

"Oh! Now I know why you were unable to see the lady. Crimson red roses!"

"What does that mean?"

"No. No. I can't say any more."

"Why?"

"Please let us know."

"Then I'm not the one who should be telling you this. I'll give you the address of a lady who should be able to explain you everything."

"Yes. Please give it then."

The lady takes a piece of paper and scribbles the address. "There you go. Ask for Yogita. Anyone will help direct you to her. She sells flowers near the Omkareshwar temple. She'll be able to tell you everything."

"Oh! Thank you so much, maushi. We really appreciate it. Seeing our sisters state yesterday, we are really worried."

"Go now. Let me continue with my work." The flower lady seemed a little lost. "Hope your sister has a happy married life", she said without looking into their eyes.

"C'mon lets go Priya."

Just as they start, Jyoti's cellphone rings.

"Its Kaku. Hello kaku", Jyoti answers the phone.

"Where are you girls?" asked Nalini.

"We are here, still on FC Road. Hows Anu?"

"Thats why I called. She's doing really good. And she seems to have forgotten what happened yesterday. I was observing her for a while, so I called you so late."

"Really? Thats wonderful."

"So now you girls come home. She has been asking for you since morning."

"Yes, yes. We'll be there soon. Just a small work to be done."

"No. Not now. Just come home. Thank God all is fine."

"OK. We'll be there. Bye", Jyoti ends the call. "Priya, Anu seems to be fine now!"

"Thats great! So lets go home."

"Wait, wait! Don't you want to go to this address?"

"Now why is the need? If she's fine we'll go home and enjoy the wedding. And now there are no flowers, so no trouble. Lets just go home."

"No Priya. I really need to know what went wrong yesterday."

"I don't need to know now."

"Only this and we'll go home."

Priya was not happy. She knew she couldn't argue much. Once Jyoti determines doing something, she does it. "I don't want to argue with you now. You are as stubborn as Anu. Fine! Lets go and see."

To be continued....