The Bride - Part 7

With Jyoti insisting on knowing the reason behind yesterdays events, the two start in search of the lady named Yogita who would help them unravel the mystery. Making way through the busy Pune traffic, they reach near the Omkareshwar temple in sometime. They park their vehicle and ask for Yogita to a couple of people, who direct them towards the river.

"I saw her in the morning going towards the river," said one lady.

"I didn't see her come back. Maybe she's still there," said another.

Jyoti and Priya went from the temple to the river, which are pretty close. An old lady directed them towards a lady who was sitting by the river bank. She was sitting with her legs close to her body and tightly held together with her arms and her head between her knees. She was looking towards the flowing river.

"Are you Yogita?" asked Jyoti.

There was no reply.

"Excuse me, are you Yogita?" Jyoti tried again.

She looked towards Jyoti. She was a young girl in her early 20's. Her eyes seemed to have swollen by crying too much.

"Yes, I'm Yogita. Who are you? What do you want?" she asked them.

"I'm Jyoti and this my sister Priya. We were sent by the flower-lady who sits on FC Road. The elderly one?"

"Why did she send you to me?"

"She said you would be able to answer some of our questions."

"What questions? I don't want to talk to you now. Please go," saying so Yogita looked elsewhere.

"Please. We need your help. Its our sisters wedding tomorrow and..."

"What do you want from me then? I haven't done anything," interrupted Yogita and burst into tears. "I haven't done anything. I'm not involved in this."

Jyoti and Priya look at each other, confused. "Calm down Yogita," Jyoti goes near her. "What are you talking about? We haven't told you anything as yet."

Yogita is still crying and refuses to speak.

"Can you tell us what you know? We are trying to find a reason to our sisters behavior last night," Priya continued.

"Are you the people who stay near the college?" Yogita asked wiping her tears.

"Yes! And how do you know that?"

"I had come to your house early morning today."

Jyoti and Priya were startled. "So was it you who took those flowers?" asked Jyoti.

Yogita nodded. "It was me. I came to help her."

"Help whom?"

"My elder sister."

"Who is she? Does she stay somewhere near our house?"

"She had come to your house just for a day. If I would have not come, she would have stayed longer."

"Whom are you talking about? Can you be specific?"

"I've taken the flowers now. You don't have to worry. Just go and enjoy your sisters wedding."

"You better tell us whats happening here," Jyoti said in a stern voice.

Yogita's eyes filled with tears again. She didn't want to talk. "Please go away. I really don't want to talk about it. I'm already tired."

"We won't go until you tell us the truth."

"You won't believe me."

Jyoti insisted on telling her the truth. They even offered her money. But Yogita didn't want to talk.

"You better tell or we take you to the police," snapped Priya.

Yogita was a little scared now. "No didi, please don't do that. I will tell you. But you are educated ladies. Will you believe me?"

"Yes. We need to know."

Yogita stood up and taking a deep breath, she started, "My sister, Kusum, was a flower vendor like me and the others you see at the traffic lights..."

"Kusum! That was the name the elderly flower-lady murmured," Jyoti said instantly. "What about her?"

"She was 5 years elder to me," Yogita continued. "She loved selling roses. A few years back, actually to be specific, 6 years back she got married. My sister dreamed of having a very happy marriage life. But her dream was short lived. Just the next day of her marriage, she died in an accident on FC Road," Yogita again burst out in tears. "She died in my arms."

Jyoti and Priya were taken aback. Jyoti's eyes were damp and Priya felt a chill go through her legs and then her spine. After a pause Jyoti asked, "What happened then and what is this got to do with you coming to our house?"

"Kusum still wants to be the bride," said Yogita wiping her tears and she looked up to them.

"Still? What does that mean?"

"I knew you won't believe me."

"We believe you. You go on."

"She was very happy after her marriage. What a lovely bride was she! She went out with her husband for a walk on FC Road. Her husband bought some nice crimson colored rose flowers from one of the vendors. She was so happy that now she had bought flowers from a street vendor. She was the customer today. They were happily walking when her husband met one of his friends on the way. The two friends talked and Kusum was looking around when she spotted me on the other side of the road. She was delighted to see me. So she ran towards me, but...", Yogita suddenly stopped. She was staring into nowhere. "But she tripped in her saree and fell on her face on a nearby stone. She tried to get up and lost balance and fell on the road. She didn't see the bus coming and she was flung in the air... it happened within seconds," Yogita's voice chocked. "I rushed towards her. She fell in the middle of the road. The bunch of flowers in her hand fell all over her. All the traffic stopped. By the time her husband reached, I had already taken her on my lap. Her right cheek was bleeding profusely. The stone had ripped her cheek. She just said "I am a bride, I still want to be one", and she took her last breath. She died here, in my arms," Yogita held her arms in front.

There was a silence. It seemed as if the city had come to a still.

To be continued....