Balashruthi Florist

Opening the shop at the Basilica Church Complex every morning is something I’ve done for years. We are right there at Tulapur Phata, so the road is always loud with buses and bikes going toward Nagar Road. Being near the church means we see a lot of people coming and going for prayers. We mostly have roses, marigolds, and some lilies if the market had them fresh that day. I usually spend the first hour just cleaning up the stems and putting the fresh water in the buckets. The floor is always a bit wet, and there are leaves everywhere until I get a chance to sweep. My brother helps out on the weekends when it gets really busy with the weddings and church events. We don’t really do those fancy bouquets you see in magazines, just honest bunches of flowers tied with string. Sometimes the flowers don't arrive on time from the farmers, and we have to make do with what we have on the shelf. It’s a small space, so you can’t miss us if you’re walking through Shivaji Nagar. The smell is the best part, especially when the jasmine arrives in the evening. We stay open late most nights because people like to pick up flowers on their way home. It’s a simple life, selling things that make people smile or help them pray. We just take it one day at a time here. We try to be helpful if someone has a special request.