The day was Saturday as I remember. I was told to drop my 17 year sister in the nearby salon to get her hair cut, and after she is done, to bring her back to home. So we started in the morning, in my motorbike. As we reached the salon, & saw a big board in which it was written ‘sorry, we are closed’. From there only I called my mom, & asked her what to do now. She told, “Take your sister in any salon which is open, but make sure that her hair-cut is not postponed. Her hair has really grown too much, for her age. " I replied in positive. After the call I told my sis, that we are going to some other salon. She resisted and said, “I will have my haircut here only, if it is closed today we can come tomorrow." I told her that mom has already advised not to postpone your haircut at any cost. But she kept on saying, “I have my haircuts here only". I advised her not to argue with me and told her," if I took you home without a haircut, mom would surely hack her hair." She became silent with a passive resistance. We again started and reached another salon which was about 6 miles away. I looked at the entrance and was relieved that it is not closed. As we entered the salon, a worker told that no one is going to serve now. I asked them the reason. They told that, a three day strike has been declared in all salons of the city, & told me to bring my sis two days later.
I exited that place then gave my cell phone to my sis and told her to call mom and explain mom the situation, she took it and said to mom," none of the salon in the city is going to serve in these three days. What shall I do now?" mom replied, “then come to home, I will have to cut your hair now." Sister at once shouted in the cell, “Nooooo, not at all", mom replied," Then you tell the solution, you have to get your haircut, today only, that’s my final word" and then mom ended the call from other side. I saw my sis’ eyes getting wet, I tried to comfort her, but then she started crying loudly. I wiped her tear & told her, there is one solution left. She asked," What is it". I told her,"the barbershop, where I have my haircuts". She looked at me and asked, “How can I cut my hair in barbershop?" I said," though it would be little odd for you to have haircut in barbershop, but it is 100times better than getting your haircut from mom. Now you tell are you going to the barbershop?" she gave a little nod. So we started again
On the way to barbershop, she asked me if there is any female hairdresser in the barbershop. I replied in negative, and also told her there are only a handful of female customers. She became a little depressed hearing this. I cheered her up saying don’t worry, your bro is with you. She gave a false smile. We reached the barbershop in about 40 minutes. There was a large queue of customers in the shop. Barber (john) saw me and said," you don’t come during weekends & you are very lucky, you are the last customer before lunch; I am not going to accept another customer. “, I replied," I am here for my sister." On seeing my sis he said hello to my sister, and told to wait for about an hour for her turn. I told my sis to browse magazine in the waiting area, knowing it would be in vain as she would get no interest is masculine magazines.
I told John," I’m taking my sis to open air for some time and would return by her turn." John nodded and warned if she doesn’t come back by her turn, she would have to wait till lunch break is over. I took my sis to food counter beside the shop, she refused to eat but I forced some snacks in her mouth. We returned to shop, and saw there is still one customer left. At last after sometimes my sis turn finally came, as John shouted ’next’. I escorted my sis to the barber’s chair and told her not to worry. She again gave a false smile. John caped her with and started combing her hair. The hair reached below the handles of chair, just few inches above the ground I thought mom was right; she should not have such long hair in school life. I told John in a joking way," be careful John, princess is having first haircut in a barbershop" John replied," I am also giving a haircut to lady for the first time" hearing this sis gave me a angry look thinking that I lied to her about female customer in the barbershop.
I immediately intercepted John and said, “Don’t you have any female customer? Just during my last haircut here I saw an middle aged lady getting her haircut from you" John replied," yes you are saying correct, but those women but not a royal lady" and smiled. John asked me “how much to be chopped?" I replied, “don’t ask me ask my sis". Sis answered that she wants to reduce her length to shoulders. John nodded but facing me told that he is not an expert with long hairs, hinting me it may go wrong. I understanding his signal told my sis, “Just to shoulders? It would be still very long, why you don’t cut it to ear?" She replied, “But I like my hair long and I have never gone shorter than shoulder length" I again encouraged her, “then this would be fun for you, the shorter you go now, the better it would be, as the gap between this and your next haircut would be more, besides your exams are coming, so you have to concentrate in your studies."
She ignored all this, I finally emotionally pressurized her saying, “ you know your brother knows you better than you yourself know, so if I make the decision it would better for you, & I believe you trust your bro that final hairstyle will not look bad on you." She just nodded. I know that she can’t tell me ‘no’ when I emotionally pressurize her. So I told john to first remove her hair till her shoulder. John took a rubber band & wound her hair in a pony. Then he took out a scissor from the drawer. I could see my sis face as reflection on mirror; she was terrorized seeing scissors in hand of barber. Then barber put the scissor in the base of rubber band, then ssccrruunnchh and her long mane was removed from her head. Sister was just going to cry when I said, “If you cry I am not going to comfort you".
She tried to hold her tears, but her eyes became wet, I pretend that I didn’t saw her wet tears, and told," That’s my sister" then I told john to reduce her shoulder length hair to something like a boycut. John started working from back, the sound of the scissor cutting the hair in quick succession can be heard in the whole salon. Snip, snip, snip … snip, hairs were falling in her lap, and sliding to floor which made her more scared. After completing the back he moved to left, I told him to cut the hairs falling on ears to very short length. My sis objected, but I told her this would be comfortable for you during summer. She didn’t said anything, I signaled john to proceed. By the time her left side was done, her lap and floor around the chair was almost filled with chopped hair. At last john moved to right side and did the same thing as left. John asked me," what to do in front?" I told him to keep them little longer than other part of her head, after it was complete, john asked if he should clip her hair. To this she shouted ‘NO!"
I nodded and told to clip the backs and sides a little. I also signaled him to make the nape visible by shaving that region. She didn’t offer any resistance. At last her haircut was complete. John dusted her and removed the cape. Her mid-back hair (in fact longer than that) was chopped to a boyish cut. On seeing large volume of her locks on floor she couldn’t hold her tear, I think she was not unhappy because of short hairstyle, but because she has to cut her long locks off.
After the haircut I paid him and left the shop. Outside the shop my sis asked me," do I look good?" I answered diplomatically, “Off course, my sister is always beautiful to me", sis interrupted and said, “Tell me the truth, I trust you as you can’t lie to me. If I ask my friends, they would never say badly, same for parents". I told," you are not looking that much beautiful, but not bad either. I would say you are okay with this hairstyle" she just thanked me and become silent. On our way to home, I tried to chat with her but she just refused to talk". When we reached home mom saw her & was still not satisfied with the haircut. Mom told her, “you should cut a little more, then it wouldthen suit you more" sis just looked at me and told mom, “bro have decided my hairstyle, so recommend him what should have been done" I didn’t said anything and went straight to my room.
At night during dinner, sis didn’t talk a single word with me. She usually sleeps in my room, though she has her separate room, but that night she demanded to sleep in her own room.
Next day after she came home she just opened her shoes & rushed to my room, to tell me that everybody in the class has admired her new hairstyle. I just told her, “I have told that your bro will do only good for you “
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