When I was 18-19, I used to be very conscious about my looks. I would get my eyebrows threaded every 15 days. ‘Only extras’, I used to instruct the beautician. I would add, ‘Patla nahi karna!!‘ My eyebrows were never thick or even dark to begin with, so this was a doomed request. Every time the beautician would say, ‘Do-teen maheene tak bilkul chhod dijiye, tab hi full growth hoga!”
And I used to wonder, ‘Where will I hide myself for three months!!’
As I got into late 20s, the frequency of getting threading changed to once in a couple of months. In between there were home beauticians. But in the past two years everybody rejected me saying ‘Minimum 500 or 1,000’. Hence, back to salons! It was irritating because the choice of parlour unfortunately depended on the availability of parking, and not on the service. The actual threading would take 10 minutes, but the waiting time would be longer. I was never a parlour person. Eye brows was the only thing I got done. And every beautician who looks at my eye brows always gasps in horror, ‘Kharab ho gaye hain. Last time kahan se karaya tha.’ And my answer invariably is ‘Aapke yaha se hi karaya tha!’
To get rid of this pain, I bought a trimmer last year and stopped going to the parlour completely. It was a big relief. I have not even bothered to use the groomer for the past four and a half months!! I am sure this is beyond the ‘full growth’ any beautician would dream of!
My hair also has to be compulsorily smoothened ever year. Otherwise, it gets wavy and curly from the roots, and straight from the bottom! I would tell the stylist, ‘I want my curls to come back’ and she would say, ‘Then you have to leave it for a year or so!’
And I would think, ‘How can I go to office looking so untidy and messy for one year!’
The curls are 60 -70 percent back! I think by the end of 2020 it will all be back! The contact lens which I abruptly stopped using in March turned into a stone! I have not ordered a new pair since then!
I guess it is somewhat liberating to not have to worry about looks!!
And even though I hate doing all the housework and cooking by myself, there is a certain amount of peace in not having to depend on anyone. The calling, the waiting, the not showing up without any communication, I don’t’ think I miss it!
So my question is are we getting comfortable with this new normal?
P.S.
Actually, I should call it, ‘Unlock Post’ since there is no lockdown currently in my city. But you know what I mean….