Standing in front a Hemma Beauty Parlor, Mrs. Shivani Chatterjee checked her purse. It has
only ` 30, adding to it the changes she had, it is just ` 40. It is not enough to get a haircut,
even in the cheapest parlor in the city. She uncovered her head and touched her bun; it has
reduced in size, as her hair was chopped to mid back last night on her wish by her husband.
Mr. Chatterjee never wanted to cut his wife’s waist length hair, neither did Shivani. But
situation forced them to do so. Mr. Chatterjee just has lost his factory, one burnt down,
another coupled with a court case thus suspending, Mr. Chatterjee’s ownership to the factory
for last one year. They lost huge amount to pay for fight the court case, they lost almost all
their savings, even sell their house and rented a one room apartment. Both of them are
struggling to live, trying to save every penny possible.
Thankfully, Mr. Chatterjee got a very lucky girl as life partner two years ago; she supported
her with all force. It was her idea, to have her hair cut off and selling it. Mr. Chatterjee
rejected the idea of selling, as in his family no one has ever done so, but agreed to cut her
hair on constant persuasion.
She pointed that, long hair takes more amount of shampoo and
oil.
Shivani wanted her hair to be cut short, like Mr. Chatterjee himself who sports a home did
crew cut. But Mr. Chatterjee chopped her hair till mid back only, saying this is enough. But
Shivani has decided she will cut her hair off.
She covered her head again and moved away from the salon, sad and miserable. She was
carrying a load of groceries. She reached the stairs of her apartment, when she sat on the
stairs to take a little rest. Her apartment is in fourth floor, and the building has no lift. She
buried her head in her lap, in despair. After five minutes she raised her head and saw a
barbershop, opposite on the road. She had a spark in her mind.
She left the grocery bag in the stairs and crossed the road to check the shop. The shop was a
cheap one, with no roof or chair, a bench. It was a road side barber. There was a boy, getting
his haircut of 11. A girl little older than him and a man was standing near him, they are next
in line. Shivani got some courage seeing the girl standing there. It gave her confidence to get
her haircut from barber. That girl was about 15 or 16, her hair was open and it reached to
arm pit length, little shorter than hair length of Shivani. She asked barber with hesitation,
“you cut woman’s hair?” barber first eyed her and then replied, “Yeah, I don’t have problem”
Shivani nodded.
After the boy’s haircut was over, the man sits in front of barber. The girl elder sister of the
boy has brought him for his haircut, and not her own. Shivani was scared now. The
confidence from her was now draining away. The man who wanted a shave, was now
covered with white shaving foam. Shivani looked up towards her apartment.
She wanted to run away. But her commitment to reduce the expenditure of her home glued
her there.
The man’s shave was over; he was called by barber as the man paid for the shave. Shivani
sat, with her back towards the barber, face towards her apartment, removing her shawl, only
in Salwar kameez. Barber immediately took comb, and opened the bun of Shivani and asked,
“How much to trim?” Shivani replied bit by bit, “I want a short haircut, not trim”
The barber said, “really? How short?” Shivani replied timidly, “something like that picture” as
she pointed to a man with buzzed hair. The barber then said, “okay, but problem is my hand
clipper is broken, and not repaired, I can do it with scissors, but it will not yield such good
result” Shivani understood some words and said, “No haircut then?” He said, “I can do it with
razors, but then your head will be shaved. You can come tomorrow; my clipper would be
repaired by then”
Shivani stood up; the man after Shivani was getting ready to sit down now. But Shivani again
got down, and said, “ok shave my hair off” Shivani had sit here with great gut, if she ran
away she would not be able to get courage again to come here,
she was determined to reduce
expenditure on hair.
Barber then, took out a yellowish white cape. Shivani lifted her hair, as barber fastened it
near her neck. And then sprayed water on her hair then separated the hair with the comb.
Then barber took scissor and told Shivani to bend her head. The barber then snipped
Shivani’s hair at neck length, Shivani could very well hear the sound of scissor cutting her
hair. Her chopped locks remained attach to her cape, as they were wet. Barber sweep with
hand to push her hair down.
Shivani remained as she was her head down. Barber then stood up, and came to Shivani’s
front. He then started pouring water on her head. He then grabbed her head, and then
massaged her head thoroughly, inserting his fingers into her hair carefully. He then stopped.
Shivani raised her head, to see the barber was inserting blades into safety razor.
The barber then again bent Shivani head, and placed the razor at top of head and ran it
backward, to behind of her head. He repeated this, as Shavian’s locks started falling to
ground. He then bent Shivani’s head to right side, and shaved Shivani’s right side. He did
same thing with Shivani’s left.
He then raised Shivani head, and then ran the razor on her front. Shvani’s closed her eyes.
Then Shivani opened her eyes, the strange burning sensation on her head has stopped. She
saw that barber was wetting alum with water, and then he rubbed it on her head, covering
every spot on her head.
Barber then opened her cape, and Shivani stood up. She didn’t give time to barber who was
going to show her a mirror. She didn’t want to have a look in the mirror. Barber told her to
pay `15, which gladly did. She went home touching her head.
Her husband was little surprised and sad too. She said, “It’s just hair, it can grow back”
only ` 30, adding to it the changes she had, it is just ` 40. It is not enough to get a haircut,
even in the cheapest parlor in the city. She uncovered her head and touched her bun; it has
reduced in size, as her hair was chopped to mid back last night on her wish by her husband.
Mr. Chatterjee never wanted to cut his wife’s waist length hair, neither did Shivani. But
situation forced them to do so. Mr. Chatterjee just has lost his factory, one burnt down,
another coupled with a court case thus suspending, Mr. Chatterjee’s ownership to the factory
for last one year. They lost huge amount to pay for fight the court case, they lost almost all
their savings, even sell their house and rented a one room apartment. Both of them are
struggling to live, trying to save every penny possible.
Thankfully, Mr. Chatterjee got a very lucky girl as life partner two years ago; she supported
her with all force. It was her idea, to have her hair cut off and selling it. Mr. Chatterjee
rejected the idea of selling, as in his family no one has ever done so, but agreed to cut her
hair on constant persuasion.
She pointed that, long hair takes more amount of shampoo and
oil.
Shivani wanted her hair to be cut short, like Mr. Chatterjee himself who sports a home did
crew cut. But Mr. Chatterjee chopped her hair till mid back only, saying this is enough. But
Shivani has decided she will cut her hair off.
She covered her head again and moved away from the salon, sad and miserable. She was
carrying a load of groceries. She reached the stairs of her apartment, when she sat on the
stairs to take a little rest. Her apartment is in fourth floor, and the building has no lift. She
buried her head in her lap, in despair. After five minutes she raised her head and saw a
barbershop, opposite on the road. She had a spark in her mind.
She left the grocery bag in the stairs and crossed the road to check the shop. The shop was a
cheap one, with no roof or chair, a bench. It was a road side barber. There was a boy, getting
his haircut of 11. A girl little older than him and a man was standing near him, they are next
in line. Shivani got some courage seeing the girl standing there. It gave her confidence to get
her haircut from barber. That girl was about 15 or 16, her hair was open and it reached to
arm pit length, little shorter than hair length of Shivani. She asked barber with hesitation,
“you cut woman’s hair?” barber first eyed her and then replied, “Yeah, I don’t have problem”
Shivani nodded.
After the boy’s haircut was over, the man sits in front of barber. The girl elder sister of the
boy has brought him for his haircut, and not her own. Shivani was scared now. The
confidence from her was now draining away. The man who wanted a shave, was now
covered with white shaving foam. Shivani looked up towards her apartment.
She wanted to run away. But her commitment to reduce the expenditure of her home glued
her there.
The man’s shave was over; he was called by barber as the man paid for the shave. Shivani
sat, with her back towards the barber, face towards her apartment, removing her shawl, only
in Salwar kameez. Barber immediately took comb, and opened the bun of Shivani and asked,
“How much to trim?” Shivani replied bit by bit, “I want a short haircut, not trim”
The barber said, “really? How short?” Shivani replied timidly, “something like that picture” as
she pointed to a man with buzzed hair. The barber then said, “okay, but problem is my hand
clipper is broken, and not repaired, I can do it with scissors, but it will not yield such good
result” Shivani understood some words and said, “No haircut then?” He said, “I can do it with
razors, but then your head will be shaved. You can come tomorrow; my clipper would be
repaired by then”
Shivani stood up; the man after Shivani was getting ready to sit down now. But Shivani again
got down, and said, “ok shave my hair off” Shivani had sit here with great gut, if she ran
away she would not be able to get courage again to come here,
she was determined to reduce
expenditure on hair.
Barber then, took out a yellowish white cape. Shivani lifted her hair, as barber fastened it
near her neck. And then sprayed water on her hair then separated the hair with the comb.
Then barber took scissor and told Shivani to bend her head. The barber then snipped
Shivani’s hair at neck length, Shivani could very well hear the sound of scissor cutting her
hair. Her chopped locks remained attach to her cape, as they were wet. Barber sweep with
hand to push her hair down.
Shivani remained as she was her head down. Barber then stood up, and came to Shivani’s
front. He then started pouring water on her head. He then grabbed her head, and then
massaged her head thoroughly, inserting his fingers into her hair carefully. He then stopped.
Shivani raised her head, to see the barber was inserting blades into safety razor.
The barber then again bent Shivani head, and placed the razor at top of head and ran it
backward, to behind of her head. He repeated this, as Shavian’s locks started falling to
ground. He then bent Shivani’s head to right side, and shaved Shivani’s right side. He did
same thing with Shivani’s left.
He then raised Shivani head, and then ran the razor on her front. Shvani’s closed her eyes.
Then Shivani opened her eyes, the strange burning sensation on her head has stopped. She
saw that barber was wetting alum with water, and then he rubbed it on her head, covering
every spot on her head.
Barber then opened her cape, and Shivani stood up. She didn’t give time to barber who was
going to show her a mirror. She didn’t want to have a look in the mirror. Barber told her to
pay `15, which gladly did. She went home touching her head.
Her husband was little surprised and sad too. She said, “It’s just hair, it can grow back”
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