Bald - beautiful?

You run away from the past, trying to flee from the clutches of thoughts that haunt you, and then, one fine day when you are brought to face your future - you realise there was nothing to run away from. A rare photograph, some acquaintance or some witten matter can make the memories flow. We are mere puppets - dancing to the tunes of the music we do not possess the power to play.

I chanced upon a photograph of mine - cropped hair and all. Smart yes, but I do not seem happy. It doesn't seem much of an issue today if I say I had short hair, but it was a big deal way back, when I was a kid. I remember my Mom's obsession of getting my head shaved every year. For the first decade that i walked the earth, my wish was consistently and at regular occasions brought under the knife . It turned out to be the most embarassing decade of my life. By the time I could feel beautiful, I had the barber attack me with the 'ustra'(barber's knife). A swish here and a swash there and it was done. My head shone like a white egg and though my eyes would boil with rage, there wasn't any reaction from the tormentor. A decent hair chopping ceremony would have given me a lesser heart ache but then mother's are your life bearers and they like to live with the notion that they know best! They think they know all and explaining anything to them is like talking to the wall.. (read banging your head on the wall).

The intentions were purely motivated with my welfare in mind and I remember being told that I would have hair that would flow in tresses - the beauty of which would be unsurpassable. I was too much into reading fairy tales and the character of Rapunzel would come alive for me. Me with long tresses, wow! I would smile at myself and imagine what I would look like when I grew up. I had thrown a tantrum and refused to give in to my mother's pursuits when I turned ten, and that was the last of my bald days. Bald can be beautiful too.

I remember a certain Nafisa Ali, who shaved her head and looked as glamorous as she does now. Her political campaigning and age hasn't dared to age her. There were Persis Khambata (star trek)and certain other models who dared to rid their heads of the beautiful tresses. North India raves and rants about the act of bravery that a woman commits by shaving her head off. Go down south and you are in for a shocker. Visit any hindu relegious place and there are bald heads bobbing up and down. They walk around like nothing has changed - men, women, children all alike. It's done to show gratitude to the Gods after a wish is fulfilled. Little do they realise that they are contributing to an industry that wouldn't benefit them in anyway. Indians! such simpletons! Do God's make wigs?? well! My hair never grew beyond shoulder length, simply because I could never muster up the patience to watch it grow, so, swish - swash.

My Rapunzel dream hasn't been realised but who knows what the future holds? I might have long hair or better still, just vent out my impatience and go bald.