17 year old Seema checked her hair. She was too excited to see, her hair has finally touched her breast length. It was monthly routine for her mom to trim her hair till her shoulder, but for last some months she didn't.
Seema went to her mom and asked softly, "Mom, I think I need a trim"
Mom didn't replied. She continued, "Mom, you forgot to do it, it has grown very long".
Her mom, a lady of 39 with midback length hair turned towards her and smiled, "I remember, it just you are growing old now to have some length. Your dad actually wanted you to have long hair now. It’s okay though, if you want it short again, I can cut it today after lunch"
She replied, "Oh no, no. I too like it long"
Her mom smiled, "but it need some trim though, you can go to parlor now"
Seema was more excited, "Really? Can I style it?"
Mom replied, "Yeah your dad gave you permission, but mind it not to trendy" she smiled.
Her mom asked, "You want to go today?” she replied in affirmative.
Few minutes later they were on path to parlor. On way, mom asked, what style u have in mind? Seema replied "i am not sure, you?" her mom answered, "I think pixie or bob would be great" Seema got excited, "really mom? You are going to cut your tresses that short?" mom was taken aback, "no, I am not going to get any haircut at parlor, I was suggesting you"
Seema replied, “but it now time to change, your are aging, your hair don’t have that vigor”
Her mom agreed and said, “Yeah…I know. I had already cut it till midback last year. Didn’t I?”
Seema stressed, “Yeah… something like boy cut is required”
Her mom didn’t argued back. She touched her hair which was in braid and said softly, “we will see that later at parlor”
They reached parlor only to get disappointed to see the amount they are charging. It was unreasonably high. Also appointments were to be booked. Upset and saddened they started walking back to home.
Seema knew she wouldn’t getting any style at parlor, she didn’t want any after knowing the price. Her mom though pressed her saying they would book an appointment for her on coming Sunday, but Seema declined it. Suddenly Seema said, “Mom…look there is a barber”
Her mom was surprised, “barbershop? You serious?”
Seema smiled, “We can call him home. They are not bad”
Her mom agreed to idea of calling the barber home. In fact she couldn’t believe it to be barber shop if she didn’t read the placard. There was no roof. A mirror hung by a tree, under which a chair has been kept, on which the barber was sitting and reading newspaper.
Seeing both of them coming to him, he got up and greeted them. Seema asked in direct way, “Can you come to our house? We need haircut”
The barber politely refused and said, “I only give service at my shop. I will do both of your hair but here only”
Seema was smiling. Her mom interrupted, “no thanks then, we will do it somewhere else”
Seema said, “Mom…its good here. Nobody around here now. Let’s have it here”
Mom’s face reddened. She said, “You want it, do it. I am not going to lose my locks here in open”
Seema smiled, “yes you are” and gently pushed her mom to the chair. Her mom didn’t resisted physically, but made an angry face to her. Seema took the control ordering the barber, “hmm…give her a nice boys cut”
Her mom submitting to her didn’t protested. She supported the barber lifting her braid above her head as the barber wrapped a cape around her.
Then he grabbed the braid with both hand and pulled it lightly and told, “I am cutting this off”
Seema’s mom didn’t responded but smiled.
The barber then picked up the largest scissor from his box and inserted the braid between the blades. Seema’s mom closed her eyes as Seema locked her eyes there.
The barber forced the blades but the braid was too thick for it. Only some locks got cut and gave the braid a fuzzy look.
The barber smiled and said, “am not much accustomed to take down such long hair” and then took a new blade. Holding the braid with left hand, he started snipping the hair like a knife.
Seema’s mom kept her eyes closed but she felt her hair being sliced. After some run, the braid was in barber’s hand. He passed the braid to Seema and started spreading the remaining hair.
Seema’s mom smiles seeing the braid. Her hair was now above shoulder with a bobish appearance. Before she could admire her hair, her head was bent down by barber. She felt something metallic touched her hair at back, going upward. She felt a rush of air where it passed. She looked at Seema to ask.
Seema smiled and whispered, “It is just Manual clipper mom”
Barber kept on clipping the back. As he passed, hair rained to ground. Her hair was getting very short at back.
After back was complete, he moved her head sideways and clipped them too. Her hair was now unusual look, with sides and back clipped so short that her scalp was partially visible, but at middle it was too voluminous.
The barber then switched to comb and scissor. Her mom was relieved to see barber putting aside the clipper. She checked the bottom in between. Her hair was everywhere. Even her cape and lap was covered with so much hair.
The barber started spraying heavy amount of water on her hair so much that it started dripping through her face. He then sectioned her hair into side partition. He combed the left partition and placed the scissor near ear and started cutting off chunks of her hair. He kept on cutting till a slope was created.
He then moved to other side, and combed the hair to right, doing the same thing. He then combed a small amount of hair to front covering her eyes.
With scissor angled he started cutting it at little above her eyes.
Seema and her mom smiled at her new appearance. She was looking completely different.
They observed barber inserting the same blade used to chop her braid in a razor. Then wetting the back and sides, the barber bent her head to remove all the fuzzy hair.
The barber then dusted her and removed the cape. She got up from chair touching her hair. She saw around her and couldn’t believe she just got all this cutoff. Seema too admired her hair. She tossed the braid to her mom.
The barber swept the ground and then invited Seema to chair…
As Seema took seat in the barber’s chair and made herself comfortable spreading her hair behind. She smiled at her mom who was still checking her new hairstyle. The barber picked up the same white cape which he used on her mother, jolted it to clean it then covered Seema.
The barber then slowly took out her hair from inside and fastened the cape. The barber then started combing her hair, first with fingers and then with comb. She closed her eyes enjoying the caring hands as it gently run over her.
She opened her eyes when the combing was over. She saw her mom looking at her, her face and dress covered with strands of her hair. She said, “Mom, you can go home…no need to wait for me”
Her mom replied, “no its okay, you just getting the trim, it won’t take long”
She urged her mom, “go mom, you need a shower, I will be home”
Her mom didn’t argued more but left the shop.
The barber then again combed her hair and then asked, “How much to trim?”
She replied, “I didn’t said trim”
Barber replied, “But your mom just said that...”
Seema replied, “I may be crazy, I need a head shave”
The barber was not at all surprised as she expected, instead he agreed instantly. He took a mug full of water and bent Seema forward at waist and then poured all the water on her head. He kept her bent for some moment till the excess water dripped away, then he lifted her to original position.
Her hair all wet now gave her cold feeling, it dampened the cape around her hair and now she could feel cold water reaching her clothes. The barber now started massaging her head, inserting the fingers in her hair and then revolving them on her scalp.
The barber then separated the hair in two parts right from front to back and made two small buns. The cold water had wetted her dress now and suddenly she didn’t want to be shaved bald.
The barber took out new blades and started inserting them into his razor when she said, “Umm…I think, I won’t go for head shave. Give me boy cut that’s all.
The barber didn’t heed any attention to her. He bent her head forward. Seema couldn’t resist it. She felt the cold blades touching the top of her head and then schchhh...chch moving sideways with little tingling sensation. She know it can’t be stopped now.
The barber kept running the razor from middle towards her right and then to back. White scalp has emerged and the area was increasing with every run. Her right bun was almost removed, and is not just held by some hair from front. He then shifted towards the left. Doing same towards her left bun.
Seema could feel the air in her head. She knew it. But she still feel the weight of it hanging from her head. The barber straightened her head, and then moved forward guarding her view and then placed the razor at her right front right.
Shchch...chh the bun slided down to her lap, then to her ground. Seema couldn’t believe what just happened. The barber then changed to other direction. This time he gripped the hair with left hand as he ran the razor.
Seema was complete bald now, she saw her face, a complete different look. The barber rubbed his hand over her head, ran the razor few time in some place and then slowly removed the cape which has hardly any hair on it. The barber then sprayed water on her bald head and then took the large piece of alum and rubbed it all over her head.
Seema then got up, paid the barber and left for home.
Her mom had just came out of shower with her new hairstyle. She was too amazed to say anything…
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