The Price of Flowers — Summary
Prabhat Kumar Mukhopadhyay
The Price of Flowers is a touching story about love, poverty, kindness, sacrifice and human relationships. The story is narrated by Mr Gupta, an Indian living in London.
One afternoon, Mr Gupta goes to a vegetarian restaurant in St. Martin’s Lane, London. There he notices a poor young English girl of about thirteen or fourteen watching him with curiosity. Before leaving, she asks the cashier whether Mr Gupta is an Indian. Her interest makes him curious about her.
The following Saturday, Mr Gupta meets the girl again at the same restaurant and starts a conversation with her. Her name is Alice Margaret Clifford, commonly called Maggie. She works as a typist in the Civil Service stores and lives with her old widowed mother in Lambeth, a poor neighbourhood. Her elder brother Francis, or Frank, is a soldier serving in India. Maggie and her mother have not heard from him for a long time and are worried about his safety. They have heard frightening stories about India being a land of tigers, snakes and fevers.
Maggie invites Mr Gupta to her home to meet her mother, Mrs Clifford. Their house is poor but very clean. Mrs Clifford earns some money by baking cakes and selling them on Saturdays. Mr Gupta reassures her that India is a beautiful country and that the Punjab, where Frank is stationed, is a healthy place.
Mrs Clifford and Maggie show Mr Gupta a crystal ring sent by Frank. Frank had told them that a yogi had given him the ring and that one could see a distant person by looking into the crystal. Since they have received no news from Frank, they hope Mr Gupta, being an Indian, might be able to see him in it. Mr Gupta knows that the ring is only an ordinary piece of glass set in brass, but he does not want to hurt their faith. He looks into it but says that he can see nothing.
During the visit, Mr Gupta also discovers that Maggie plays the violin. Though she has never received proper training, she has taught herself to play. Her talent, poverty, affection for her mother and desire for a better life deeply touch him. Over the next three months, Mr Gupta visits Maggie and her mother several times and becomes close to the family.
Still, no news comes from Frank. Eventually, Mrs Clifford becomes seriously ill, and her condition grows worse because of her anxiety about her son. Maggie sends for Mr Gupta and makes an emotional request. She asks him to look into the crystal again and tell her mother that Frank is alive and well, even if he cannot really see anything.
Mr Gupta understands that such a lie may give the sick mother hope and peace. He agrees. Standing beside Mrs Clifford's bed, he tells her that he has seen Frank in the crystal and that he is alive and well. His comforting words bring great relief to her, and Mrs Clifford recovers.
Later, however, Mr Gupta learns the painful truth: Frank had been killed while fighting on the Northwest Frontier. In fact, Frank had already been dead when Mr Gupta told Mrs Clifford that he was alive. Mr Gupta feels ashamed to face her, although his lie had been told out of compassion.
Before Mr Gupta returns to India, Maggie comes to say goodbye. She tells him that Frank has been buried at Fort Monroe near Dera-Ghazi-Khan. Mr Gupta promises that when he gets an opportunity, he will visit Frank's grave.
Maggie then takes out a shilling, which she has earned through hard work, and asks Mr Gupta to use it to buy flowers and place them on her brother's grave. Mr Gupta initially wants to return the money because flowers are plentiful in India. But he realizes that accepting it will allow Maggie to express her love for her dead brother. The sacrifice represented by the shilling is worth far more than its monetary value. He therefore accepts it and promises to place the flowers on Frank's grave.
The story ends with an emotional farewell between Maggie and Mr Gupta. The “price” of the flowers is not merely the shilling Maggie gives him. It represents her hard work, sacrifice, grief and deep love for her brother. Through Mr Gupta's compassionate lie and Maggie's loving sacrifice, the story shows that kindness and human affection can cross barriers of nationality, culture and poverty.
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[Prepared By Sindhu.P,HSST English ,GGHSS Kallai]