Bani leaned in slightly, her expression polite but firm. "Sir, these are freshly picked, top-quality marigolds. The fragrance alone tells you that. Two hundred is far too low."
The vendor clicked his tongue. "I can get marigolds for 210 elsewhere."
Aman smirked. "And those will start wilting in a few hours. These will last for days. 280, take it or leave it."
The vendor frowned but didn't walk away. He knew the quality was worth it. "250," he countered.
Bani sighed, shaking her head slightly. "You drive a hard bargain. Alright, 240. That's our lowest."
The vendor pretended to think, then nodded. "Fine, 240 it is." He handed over cash and started loading the marigolds into his sacks.
As soon as he walked away, another buyer arrived, eyeing the chrysanthemums.
"Chrysanthemum?" the woman asked, her sharp eyes scanning the flowers.
"Three fifty per kilo," Aman said before she could name her price.
The woman scoffed. "Who's paying that? I'll give you 280."
Bani raised an eyebrow. "Ma'am, these are fresh from the farm, not leftovers from yesterday's stock. 340."
The woman tapped her chin. "300."
"330," Aman said firmly. "We're already giving a discount."
The woman sighed but nodded. "Alright, 330. I need 50 kilos."
Bani smiled, sealing the deal as Aman counted the payment.
The toughest negotiation came for the jasmine. A wealthy buyer, a temple supplier, approached, inspecting the delicate white blooms.
"Jasmine, huh? 650 per kilo," he said.
Bani shook her head. "These are the best quality jasmine, 800 per kilo."
The man laughed. "Are you selling perfume or flowers?"
Aman chuckled. "Both, sir. Just smell them—pure fragrance."
The buyer exhaled, looking at the stock. "700."
"750," Bani said without hesitation.
"720."
"740, final."
The man stared at them for a moment before nodding. "Fine. Pack 50 kilos for me."
As the last deal was closed, Aman leaned against the table with a grin. "We compromised a lot, but we still got a good price."
Aman returned from his walk, his face slightly flushed from exertion. He exhaled before speaking.
"Bani, if we wait any longer, we won't get a fair price for the chrysanthemums," he said, brushing off the dust from his sleeves. "I managed to negotiate from ₹350 per 100 kg and settled for ₹320 with one of the vendors."
Bani frowned slightly. It was lower than what she had hoped for. "That's quite a drop," she said, setting down the basket she was holding.
Aman hesitated before answering. "I know it's not ideal, but the market is unpredictable. If we waited too long, the prices might drop even further."
She considered his words. It made sense. Holding onto the flowers for too long was a risk.
"I checked around," Aman added. "Most were offering around ₹300. This was the best we could manage today."
Bani sighed. It wasn't the outcome she wanted, but at least they weren't making a loss. She turned towards a local chai maker nearby and ordered a tea for Aman and a coffee for herself. The warm cup in her hands grounded her thoughts as she took a sip, letting the bitterness of the coffee settle in her mouth.