Anahita
Standing in front of a moderately built shop, outside walls painted with colourful and quirky murals. I took a deep breath and gripped the strap of my bag which I had slung over my left shoulder. I went ahead and pushed the door open resulting in the chiming of the bell. Going inside I ran smack into mass of hair, or is it a person?
"Hey! Careful". A feminine voice cautioned me with concern laced in her voice. Two slim hands gripped my shoulders and braced me from falling. I peered up at my saviour. It's a women maybe in her mid twenties wearing denim jeans and shirt over tank top. She has really big hair and are those.... flowers in her hair.
I was looking at her then suddenly remembered my carelessness. "I'm so sorry I wasn't looking where I was going." I apologized with a hesitant smile.
"Oh don't be. It's partially my fault too. I saw you looking at my shop for past five minutes and decided to come out and ask if you wanted to buy anything, then you entered and.... Anyways I think I startled you with all my rambling." Maybe feeling embarrassed she stopped talking and tried to smooth out her hair which were messed up from our recent rendezvous.
Taking a breath and composing herself, she forwarded her hand towards me. "Hello, I'm Neela Bakshi. Owner of this shop."
" Hi, I'm Anahita Gujral." I took her hand and introduced myself with my maiden name. It didn't feel strange since I don't feel like a Raichand, not yet at least and maybe it's for the best.
"Neela Bakshi." I repeated the name. "Is that why...." I trailed off.
"Yes. I named this place after myself. Come, you want to buy any of these flowers." She asked, gesturing towards the many rows of gorgeous flowers.
"They are truly beautiful." I smiled. "But no, I didn't come here to buy anything."
I took out the flyer from my bag. Showing it to her, "I was looking around and found this. Do you take volunteers?" I asked.
"Oh yeah. Of course we do." She replied suddenly getting more excited. "You see, this is a posh neighborhood. The business is doing good but we are short on staff at the moment as one of our long time employee has gotten married and moved to another city. Well, It would have been impractical to travel back and forth just for this." She pointed out.
"Yeah right. I was wondering if I can volunteer. I mean, I have experience with flowers, I have a liking for horticulture too." I told her "And I'm a fast learner." I added just in case.
"So, you have planted flowers before?" She questioned.
"Yes." I said suddenly excited. I don't know how I went from looking for a corporate office job to volunteering at a flower shop.
The door Bell chimed again and we both turned towards the door. A young couple came and looked around. Neela signalled me with her hand to wait a minute while she tends to the customer. I look at the scene unfolding infront of me. The man buys a bouquet of pink roses with white sprinkles of baby breaths. After paying he plucks out a single rose from the bouquet and gives it to the women who came with him. Love apparent in his little gesture as she accepts the rose smiling and blushing. Brings it to her nose and takes in the fragrance of it and then gives it back to the man and turned her back to him. He takes the flower, tucks it in her hair carefully and kisses the top of her head. She grinned looking at him and then they both exited the shop. The gesture felt so natural and the love and happiness that they felt was surely contagious, for I was feeling content just by observing their little exchange.
'This is it' my mind screamed. This is what I was looking for, to feel these small magics with smallest of things such as flowers. That is why I came here in the first place.
Neela came back to me after putting aside the cash in the drawer behind the counter. Smiling she said "Alright you can work here.When can you start?" She asked.
"I can start now" I spoke without wasting another time. "If that's okay." I added at the end.
She chuckled hearing the eagerness. "That's absolutely fine with me." She motioned for me to follow her.
I followed her to the back of the room. There we came to a halt in front of the massive arrays of various flowers arranged accordingly and cabinets full of wrapping papers and colourful ribbons.
"I believe you don't know how to arrange a bouquet." She spoke as a matter of fact and I shook my head in negative. "Don't worry come I'll show you how to do it." Saying this she brought me near a flat wooden table, picking out some lilies and orchids from the side, she started arranging them with green wrapping papers, holding them in place with stapler pins and cellophane tape. And lastly finished it off using a ribbon, making it more pretty. I've never done this so I was in a awe with her speed and technique.
"There is no exact method that you should follow instead it is mostly about creativity and how you want to make it look." She explained. "Well, ofcourse it has to be pretty enough for us to sell or we would have to close the business." She added laughing and a chuckle left from my lips too hearing her.
"All these flowers, there are so many. Are all of them for the bouquets alone." I asked looking around.
"Ohh no, no. We are in the decoration business too. I mean we provide the event planners with flowers in small celebrations like birthdays, anniversaries even baby showers." She told me more about her business.
"Come, take these and try for yourself." She encouraged me giving the scissors that she was holding.
I took some ranunculus and irises. Some grass leaves for a little splash of greenery and arranged them in baby blue wrapping paper and wrapped it trying to do it like she just taught then finished it off with a ribbon. I think I did it pretty good, giving it's not looking so bad. I showed it to Neela and she gave me a thumbs up.
"Alright so it's you and me now. Let's do this." She said enthusiastically rubbing her hands together and we made bouquets of different flowers and sold them.
It was five in the evening now. We didn't even notice the time as we were chatting. Talking about anything we came up with. She is a good person and even better conversation partner. I felt free like I hadn't felt in a while.
"We should head home now it's getting late." She said looking at the clock.
"Yes, I'll see you tomorrow at ten. Will that be okay." I asked.
"Absolutely. Now you go ahead I'll leave after closing." She replied.
"Alright bye." I said and took my bag from the table where I left it. Slinging it over my left shoulder I left to go home. No, not home it's the villa, I don't have a home now. Thinking about home brought back memories of me with my father in our home in delhi. How we were so happy with each other, just the two of us. He had provided me with everything I had asked for, cared for me and loved me so much. And now it's like everything is slipping away from my hands like the sands that you hold in your fist, the tighter you want to hold it the faster it slips away.
The brain tumor has affected his memories too, we found it too late. They said he has a year left, maybe a couple of months more in the best case scenario but not more than that. It's been half a month since I last saw him, talked to him. He had refused to leave Delhi and come with me, refused to let me stay with him, refused to even meet me when I went there for the first time after my marriage, at the time when he was diagnosed. I begged him, crying like a mad woman, promised him I would not talk about his health from the other side of the door after that he relented and opened the door. Since then I visit him once a month, that too for three days only as per his condition. We talk about the good times or sometimes just stay silent together basking in each other's existence in our life.
Sometimes he asks about my husband and my in laws, how they treat me and I lie every time, smiling " sab bahot acche hain papa, aap meri chinta bilkul mat kijiye. Aap mere liye kabhi galat chun sakte hain kya?"
( Everyone is very good to me father, do not worry about me at all. You can never make any wrong choice when it comes to me. Isn't that right?)
And his reply would be always the same.
"Mujhe pata tha Adhrit tumhara bahot khayal rakhega."
(I knew Adhrit would take very good care of you)
And I give him a smile thinking how he couldn't be more wrong, how far the reality is from the farce that we present infront of the people and those cameras that follow us wherever we go.
I stand infront of the villa, the sky has turned orange and was casting a majestic glow over the huge mansion. I stride towards the large gate, the guard opened it when he looked at me. I thanked him and went inside. In my room I put the bag in the closet and grabbing my clothes and towel I scurried inside the bathroom. It has been a long day and the pristine white marble bathtub with hot water is calling for me to soak my body in and relax. I quickly filled the bathtub and went inside after getting out of my clothes and tossing them in the laundry basket which is at the corner, under the cabinet of toiletries
"Ha this is nice" I mumbled to no one. I had walked so much while looking around the neighborhood, My calves feel sore now. I'm sure it'll be torturous tomorrow, as for now the hot water feels like magic and maybe some of the distress will go away after I repeat this again in the morning.
I come out of the bathtub after the water started to turn cold and all the bubble had burst. Drying my body with the towel I put on a simple cotton kurta and Palazzo and leave the bathroom. Standing in front of the vanity mirror I leathered myself with moisturizer and take out a comb so I can detangle my hair. After detangling and tying it loosely with a scrunchie I press a button for the kitchen and told them to bring my dinner to my room.
The dinner arrived within ten minutes of calling. I thanked her and got settled on the couch.
After having it I got ready for bed. A staff came with a jug of water and put it on the table beside the bed and took away the plates and utensils. I go inside my closet and take the nearly empty water tumbler from my bag and gave it to her. When she left and closed the door I climbed onto the bed. As soon as I closed my eyes, sleep engulfed me in its dreamy embrace.
AN :- Another chapter completed.
Thank you for reading it.❤️❤️
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