The Rightful Owner

Submitted into Contest #86 in response to: Write a story where flowers play a central role.... view prompt

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Desi Fantasy Fiction

The Rightful Owner

Inside a florist shop..

Roses (the red roses): “Good morning!! I am bathed and decked up for this day.

What a beautiful day, hope I get picked by a beautiful person.

A man enters the store and spits out a gum and asks the seller to give him a bouquet

“Seller: What kind of bouquet sir? Would you like to see around?”

Man: “Anything. It’s for gifting. So give what people generally give for gifts.”

Roses: “No..Not me..Not to him”

Seller before picking the colour for roses, wants to confirm with the Man and starts to ask him.

Seller: “Sir, May I..”

Man: Why is it so hard for you . I am already getting late. Just pick one and give.

Seller packs white roses.

A Beautiful Young Lady by the name Jasmine enters the florist shop.

She smiles while looking at all the flowers and carefully looking at them as she goes around the shop.

Roses: “Ah, here comes a beautiful lady…Ma’am look here. Here.

Yes! “

Jasmine stops at Red Roses counter.

Picks it smells it and smiles

Jasmines: “I will take this Red Rose Bouquet…”

Seller hands over the bouquet.

Jasmine: “Thankyou. ”

Jasmine smells the flowers and smiles. 

And the flowers bloom even more.

Jasmine goes to her office and places the bouquet on her desk.

Her friend: “So you are going to do it?”

Jasmine: “Thinking about it..”

Friend: “Well, it’s a bit too late to think about, when you have a bouquet sitting here

Don’t worry. Just go for it.

And I think, he thinks the same way about you too. Helloo..what about all those times he clearly expressed he is interested in you.”

She sees Raj going in to his chamber and goes to washroom. Checks herself in mirror. Takes a deep breath and heads out.

She goes to Raj’s chambers.

Jasmine: “Oh you are heading out..I will come back later”

Raj: “ah Wait..are those flowers for me?”

Jasmine: “I..

Raj: “Yes?” With a sheepish grin.

Jasmine: “Let’s talk once you are back”

Raj: “And what about these flowers.”

Jasmine gets flustered and blurts: “uhm…congrats on successful completion of the project. You are a miracle maker”

And she lowers her head so he won’t see her blushing.

Raj takes the bouquet with a smile and heads out.

Roses: “bye Jasmine”

Jasmine comes back to her desk.

Friend:  “So how did it go?”

Jasmine: “Oh he was heading out. I couldn’t say it”.

Friend: “The way he was smiling, I thought..nevermind girl, like I said he likes you”.

Jasmine: “hmm”. She sighs.

Their phones beep and there is a notification sound from their systems.

Jasmine: “Oh, Jaspreet is calling for a meeting now?”

Friend:  “Seems like everyone has already left. We just got this message. Let’s go”

Everyone assembles in Jaspreet’s Chambers.

Jasmine and her friend are the last ones to arrive. So they are at the back where everyone standing is already blocking their view.

Jaspreet: Just want to congratulate everyone and tell you all that client is very happy with our work and so we might sign another deal with them!!

Everyone shouts in excitement.

Jaspreet: “Can anyone get the cake, it must be in..”

Jasmine: “I will go”

She gets the cake and goes to the center where Jaspreet is standing.

Roses: “Don’t look…No..Don’t .Noooo”.

And then she notices the bouquet that she had given Raj.

There’s now a card attached to it that says, “You are a Miracle Maker”.

Tears well up in Jasmine’s eyes.  She quickly composes herself.

Jaspreet tells Jasmine and everyone in general

“Raj had given that”. Pointing at Raj, who pretends to not hear and awkwardly tries to do search something on his cell.

“Lovely right! To be honest, you all deserve it more than me. It’s a team effort.”

Jasmine: I forgot the knife.

And she leaves the room.

Roses: This is sad. He is a jerk!! Why can’t women buy flowers for themselves. Why should they buy it for others who don’t deserve them.

Some of the petals fall down.

Jasmine’s friend goes in search of her..but finds that she already left the office. She covers up for her during the gathering.

Jaspreeth hires a cab and leaves for the day.

She is on call during the entire commute.

And they reach her destination.

“Bhaiyya, I have done the online payment” and she leaves while continuing to talk over phone.

Driver ends the trips. Backs the car and sees a bouquet in the back seat.

He immediately gets down and approaches security guard.

He asks for the flat number of the madam who just got down. But he says he didn’t pay attention.

When the security guard learns of the reason that it was a bouquet that he was trying to return, he assures him that, they all throw them or do not care about it much as it is of no value, so he need not stress about it and that he should go.

He asks the security guard to keep the bouquet so that if she asks for it, he could give them.

The guard assures him that, it would be useless as no one usually comes and its better he take it with him and give it to someone who values it.

Unconvinced he takes the bouquet with him and leaves.

He goes home and gives Jasmine the bouquet. He removes the card.

“I saw how hard you worked. Whether your bosses see it or not, I don’t know.

But I see it. Putting every waking hour in to your work, giving your very best. You worked very hard beti (daughter). You deserve this and many great things.”

And your dad will also work hard to buy you things and give you handovers. He mutters to himself.

 “I love these, Dad and I love you”, Jasmine says while hugging her dad tightly who is touched with the gesture.

She removes the boquet ribbon and gets a vase, fills it water and places the roses in that vase and smiles.

Roses: “Ah what a day! Used and Spent. But reached the rightful owner at last.”

March 21, 2021 20:04

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