“Don’t worry Didi, this time you will succeed” I said as my whole family sat in front of my laptop as we checked on screen for Smita’s result.
Smita gave a nervous smile to me, acknowledging the brotherly concern and support.
My dad added, “no need to worry, you have more interviews in hand even if you miss this job”
The waiting continued, we remained glued to the screen. At last the result were out. Smita clutched her braid tightly as she searched for her name in the list of fifteen. I could see her name was not in the list, but I think she couldn’t accept it. She brought forward the braid and clutched it more tightly as she checked again.
I could see despair in her face, which she tried to hide but everybody at home could easily understand.
The surrounding has suddenly changed from an environment of enthusiasm to gloomy one. My mom tried to change the topic avoiding consoling her or anything. This is her fifth failure in interview for job, and this is a big issue now. My sister has been academically bright in every level, secured a seat in reputed college. Yet the concern is she is not getting a job in spite of so many tries. Almost all of her classmates have secured a job, she is lagging behind even though she was a topper in her batch.
Mom switched on the television, and told us she is serving dinner now. We all have our food, but in silence. Mom tried to uplift the mood but not much successful yet.
“Smita should I book an appointment for trim in our parlor? Your hair is becoming untidy at ends you know”
Smita replied slowly, “Hmm, not tomorrow, I have another interview tomorrow”
My mom replied, “But dear, it’s in afternoon right? I think you should get it done in morning. Look dear, how your braid look? They used to be so thick in ends…”
Smita was losing patience, “mom please…tomorrow or day after tomorrow doesn’t matter, and I don’t sport braids or pigtails in interview, so please don’ worry, it always in a bun you know”
Nobody said much after that, after dinner all went to respective room to retire for night, except me. I went to Smita’s room.
Smita was preparing to go to sleep then. She has unbraided her hair and combed it and now braiding it into two pigtails. She was almost done with one braid, but other part of hair she has not started. She tried to shove me away and I said directly without hesitation my motive to come here, “Look Di, I think I know why you have failed till now?”
She was not interested in my point, which is usual, I being five year younger than her still in school. But I continued, “I think it’s your appearance”
She gazed at me, “what’s wrong with my appearance?”
I answered, “Hmm…you’re…”
She asked, “What my dress? Because I don’t wear western?”
I answered quickly without hesitation, “It’s your hair di, not your dress”
She asked, “What’s wrong with my hair?”
I replied, “I think because it is long, it’s adding to your disadvantage”
She said, “What’s wrong with long hair? Woman are expected to have long hair, and it’s not a problem if I keep it tied properly. I am not getting you”
I replied, “Okay, here is my observation, as far as I know you have longest hair in you class, rest of the girls mostly have modern short styles”
She agreed but said, “yeah, because their hair is of not good quality to grow long...”
I continued, “Your friend Sneha didi got job in her third interview and as far as I remember she had her hair chopped to shoulder after second interview”
She nodded, she was getting my point but it was difficult for her to accept it. She said, “but there is no rule that woman can’t have long hair…and Sneha didn’t have haircut because of interviews, they had some family function...”
I said, “This is an unofficial point I think, preference are being given to modern styles. Think of it other way, if you recruit someone to lead a team of 20 to 30 members whom would you take, a girl with long flowing hair or a girl with well maintained bob”
She understood my point as she didn’t argued anymore. I gave her final advice, “on your next visit cut your hair short”
She replied as I started leaving her room, “Yeah, I think I have to…but my interview is tomorrow. If you are correct I will fail this one too”
I didn’t said anything. She continued, “Oh, I should have booked appointment at the parlor”
I told, “Try now”
She picked the phone and dialed number and said, “It’s closed now, they don’t accept without appointment...I will skip interview tomorrow”
I was shocked, “hey, hey, you have to attend the interviews…”
She replied, “What’s the point? I will definitely fail. They only accept walk-in customer in parlor if only somebody who has booked appointment don’t show up”
I replied back, “they you should try for that”
She didn’t said anything after that and I left her room, by that time her hair was braided to two pigtails.
Next morning, my sister declared what I had said about her hair and interview during breakfast and her decision to cut it short. My mom and dad were not happy to hear their 23 year old daughter who have long hair from junior classes would cut her braid off but didn’t resisted much. After breakfast she requested me to drop her in parlor which I accepted.
We reached the parlor in 20 minutes in my bike, my sister dressed up in an orange salwar kameez with a white dupatta, her hair still in two pigtail braids reaching almost her waist. She entered the parlor and I decided to wait outside for few moments in case she don’t see any chance of her and decide to go home.
As expected she came out within two minutes. She told herself, “It’s all booked, they told me I can come at afternoon”
I said, “It’s your interview then”
She replied, “Yeah, I booked appointment for tomorrow morning, let’s go home now. I can see another failure”
I replied, “Don’t say like that. Do you want to cut your hair today at all cost?”
She replied sarcastically, “no, I want to become Rapunzel today”
I said, “Di please”
She said in soft voice, “At what cost you mean?”
I replied, “I can take you to barbershop”
She was stunned, and shocked to answer. I didn’t waited for her response. within few minutes we were standing in front of the barbershop near our home.
I asked again as I parked the bike, “We are going?”
She looked up at me as if she can’t decide. I said as I held her hand and started walking towards the shop, “don’t worry, they are good at short hair and I am there with you”
I opened the door and we were inside. It was little crowded, all three chairs occupied with two customers waiting for turn.
I smiled at Smita and said, “Look like we have to wait”
I could see Smita was surprised, anguished and scared. All the three barber gave her a look when she entered, she has become the center of attraction. She brought both of her braid in front and bend her head down as if she don’t want to show her face.
By the time the customers in chair were done and other waiting before us were done, Smita has lost little of her shyness. She was now watching the second barber buzzing the head of a young boy with a clipper. At last the barber one was done with his customer as he signaled us.
Smita slowly got up and I escorted her to the barber chair. The barber was old man was not surprised at all to see the length of hair. I picked the left braid from front and threw it back, as Smita did with right one.
The barber touched her shoulder signaling her to sit comfortably. He pulled out a big white cape from the drawer. I gently went to my sister and pulled away the white dupatta saying, “You won’t need it now”
She didn’t resisted. The barber placed the cape on her and secured it with knot in her back. He then picked the right braid and removed the rubber band at the end and started unbraiding it and asked, “So what should I do with the hair?”
Smita answered, “I want a small haircut”
The barber asked, “How short?”
Smita said, “Short…like…umm…”
I managed the situation, “well something modern yet short, like boyish cuts” and then gazed at her telling her I will manage the whole haircut.
The barber replied as he now picked the other braid and removed rubber band, “Okay, like the girly boyish cut”
I nodded in agreement.
After barber was done with unbraiding he picked a comb and ran it once and twice. He then switched to scissor.
I could see Smita was terrified. Her eyes were closed. The barber inserted the scissor at her neck region in loose hair and kaachchchch…chchch. Long lock of her hair fell to ground. I could see Smita was quivering. The barber continued kaachchchch…chchch…chchch, her mane kept falling.
Her hair was almost snipped only a side was left on her left. Barber inserted the scissor and kaachchchch. Her long hair was gone, deposited on the floor of a barbershop.
Smita opened her eyes, she could see the ends of her hair behind her ears now. I don’t remember seeing her with this length for years. Her hair was choppy now.
The barber then took a sprayer and started spraying water in her hair. He looked at me and said, “Good quality hair she has got, very thick and rare”
My sister said nothing, I replied, “Yeah, my sister’s hair is well maintained”
The barber then picked a comb and started brushing all her hair backward from front. He sprayed water in between. He then started parting her hair according to style. He sectioned hair into four sides’ front, back left and right. The hair in sides were so long that in covered all the way to her chin.
The barber started with back side, picking scissor and comb. In his first raid, he just ran the scissor through her back without any order snipping anything which trapped between the blades. Chunks of her hair fell to floor. Then he used comb. Combing again, he placed the comb at her neck and started moving it upward, and then snipping the hair off the comb. He continued doing that again and again till it was short enough.
When he was satisfied, he asked, “Check, if I should shorten more?”
Smita didn’t replied, so I went and touched the hair at her back and asked, “What to do Di?”
She asked in timid voice, “Is it short?”
I laughed in my mind hearing this, I was standing on her long chopped locks. I answered, “Well, it is short but it can be shorten more if you like”
She couldn’t decide. I answered for her, “Yeah shorten it further please”
The barber nodded as he brought out the electric clipper and plugged it. He asked in signal about guard. I replied, “Number 8 will do it”
Smita was nervous when she saw the clipper but she was terrified when it was switched on. The barber asked again, “Number 8 on sides also?”
I replied in affirmative, then added or you can go lower.
The barber didn’t waited much, he plunged the clipper at her back from neck to top. Hair rained at her back. I could see Smita shivering every time the clipper touched her head. She was getting agitated more and more with every run. It was normal I think, few minutes ago she has hair passed her midback and now…
After barber was done with back, he revolved the chair ninety digress. Her hair in back was cropped so short that one could not hold it in fingers but not that short that scalp would be exposed.
The barber took comb and combed her hair on left once again. Our eyes met once, I smiled but she didn’t reacted at all, maybe she was not at all happy, or it just she can’t accept butchering of her hair.
The barber picked the clipper again and touched it at side and ran it close to top. Large chunks of hair fell now, some on floor, other got collected in her lap. The barber continued running the clipper at her sides, in between he revolved the chair again so that her other side was towards him now.
Her hair has now unusual shape like a swelling body, all her hair were short but the middle and front were too long in comparison. The barber then picked scissor and comb so as to level her hair.
He splashed large amount of water on her hair and combed it. Water dripped on her cape. He started with left side using same scissor over comb technique. He chopped very fast and ruthlessly. Smita sat with closed eyes, teeth tightening maybe hoping it to end as fast as possible. He then went to right and did the same. Most of the hair feel forward to lap, some got stick to her face.
At last barber combed all her hair to front. Due to irregular cutting her eyes were covered partially. He raised her face up, placed the scissor above her eyes and kaachchchch…chchch…chchch. Thick chunks of her hair fell on her cape.
The barber kept the scissor and combed her hair and then took out the straight razor from drawer. Smita saw it and bend her head in submission. I instructed the barber, “back only, no need to do sides”
He grinned a little, “She doesn’t have much sideburns…back only” and inserted blades into razor.
He then took the sprayer and sprayed water to her fuzzy region in back. He placed the left hand on her top of head and touched the razor at one inches above her normal hairline and asked, “Till here is it okay?”
I replied, “No, little bit low, no need to clean off so much”
He placed his razor little lower and ran it without confirmation shchchch….schchc. Smita quivered violently. Barber adjusted his grip and ran again. He said after he was completed, “she is not accustomed to razors”
He then folded her ear and ran it there once even though there was no hair there. At last he declared, “It’s over”
He picked the mirror from table and started showing her backside to her. Smita raised her head for first time to see her. I think she was shocked as she didn’t said anything. I said, “Yeah, it’s good, clean her up now”
The barber took a brush and dusted her back. He then gently opened the knot of cape and spread a little, then again picked the razor and ran at her neck area covered with cape. He removed the cape then and used the same cape to wipe her face.
She quickly got up after barber was done and snatched her dupatta from me. Then only she went near the mirror and started checking herself.
I paid the barber and waited for her to say how it is, but neither Smita said anything, nor I. We went home silently, mom was shocked and excited to see her daughter in short hair. We didn't discussed about it much that day, she had a bath, lunch and straight away went for her interview.
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