After dinner, Bani and Aman prepared to leave for the flower market. Their father reminded them, "Go and come back soon. You both need rest."
"We'll be back before midnight," Aman assured him as he grabbed the truck keys.
The back of the truck was packed with fresh flowers—jasmine and marigold neatly bundled and ready for sale. The scent of jasmine filled the air as they drove through the quiet streets, heading towards the bustling flower market.
When they arrived, the market was already lively despite the late hour. Vendors, shopkeepers, and wholesale buyers moved through the crowded space, inspecting flowers, negotiating prices, and finalizing bulk orders.
Aman parked the truck, and they quickly unloaded the flowers at their usual spot. Regular buyers recognized them immediately.
"Fresh jasmine again?" one vendor asked, stepping forward to examine the bundles.
Bani nodded. "Harvested just this evening. The fragrance is strong."
The vendor took a deep breath, nodding in approval. "I'll take 20 kilos."
Another buyer approached for marigolds. "What's the rate tonight?"
Aman negotiated swiftly, ensuring they got a fair price while still moving the stock quickly. Over the next hour, they sold most of the jasmine and marigolds.
By 11:30 PM, their truck was almost empty, with just a few unsold bundles left.
"This went well," Aman said as he counted the cash. "Good sales, and we're on time."
Bani stretched, feeling the long day catching up with her. "Let's get home and sleep. We have a bakery and hotel business to handle in the morning."
With the last transactions completed, they loaded the empty crates back into the truck and drove home, the scent of flowers still lingering in the air.
Chapter [X+7]: Wrapping Up and Preparing for the Next Day
By the time Aman and Bani reached home, it was 11:50 PM. The streets were quiet, and the cool night air carried the lingering fragrance of the flowers they had sold.
Aman parked the truck near their house, and they quickly unloaded the few remaining unsold flower bundles. Bani set them aside, planning to use them for garlands in the morning.
Their father was still awake, waiting in the living room. "How was the market?" he asked.
"Good sales," Aman replied, handing over the cash. we managed to sell most of them."
Their father nodded in approval, counting the money. "That's good. At least this business is running steadily."
Bani stretched, feeling the exhaustion settling in. "We'll finalize tomorrow's bakery stock in the morning. I'll prepare fresh Rusk and Butter Cookies, and we can adjust the Coconut Cookies quantity."
Aman yawned, rubbing his eyes. "Yeah. I'll check at the hotel again to see if we need any display changes."
Their father glanced at the clock. "Get some rest. You both have another busy day ahead."
Bani and Aman exchanged a quick nod before heading to their rooms. It had been a productive day, but tomorrow was another round of work.
As Bani lay down, her mind briefly wandered to the bakery, the hotel, and the flower business. Everything was progressing steadily. One step at a time.
With that thought, she finally closed her eyes, letting exhaustion pull her into sleep.