As she finished counting them, her eyes lit up, her whole being seemed to be shining.
"Are you out of your mind?", The best friend stammered with great anger.
"About?", She was still shining and smiled innocently as she asked this.
"Look! You should not have bought these! Did you ask the boy why he was selling these pretty flowers at such low price? Did you ask him where did he buy them from or bring the bunch from? Did you ask him what he did to earn a living? Did you..?"
"Stop girlie!!"
She snapped in between the deluge of questions.
"Ah! You didn't. Isn't it?"
"Why would I? How do these matter? I anyway didn't have a moment to stop and ask him about these useless things, as I would have missed the bus"
"These are not useless questions. Didn't it at all come to your mind that he was selling these at an unbelievably low price? Don't tell me it didn't strike you."
"It did. Yes the price did strike me, and I took it as a jackpot!," She shrugged and sulked at the questioning from her best friend who, a few seconds ago, was as excited as her.
"You should not have bought these."
"Alright. Now, why don't you tell me the reason too."
"These flowers may bring bad luck to you. Someone else's bad luck diverted to you."
"What??", A hearty, full laugh followed, the way only she could have showered upon this complex world, "Simply because these don't cost a fortune, they are carriers of bad luck!?"
"No. Not because of the price.".. "Because of the reason why the flowers have been sold at such low price,dear." The best friend had calmed down by now.
"Don't make it so suspicious.. explain."
She was like the mirror, instantly calmed by the calm demeanor of her friend.
"You know, I have heard that such flowers are generally picked up from someone's grave. I believe this too."
"I actually have no belief in stories of this kind since with so many people around, it isn't possible to sneak out the flowers from a grave. Even the dead would be dead sad about the theft and what pity! There can't be any police complaint too!", Another full laugh.. She was shaking her head from side to side and patted her friend's back, massaging her shoulders to keep the calm intact.
They strolled through the green lawns to their training halls, situated on the third floor of the building. They passed through the gallery of mirrors, up the stairs, waving greetings to the known faces, smiling at the funny nothings they talked about.
"Have faith. Nothing of this sort would happen. You have been jinxed enough already.", She thought to herself as she took her seat beside the window, and though she hadn't stopped smiling all through the long stroll to the training hall, a dark corner in her heart had darkened some more, and the browns of her eyes reflected a chestnut shade now.
The flowers smiled at their own good fortune.
