Legendary Head Shave Tales
Deepa was a second-year PUC student living in a small town in Tamil Nadu. She had always been known for her beautiful, long hair, which reached down to her waist. Her hair was her pride, something she had nurtured and cherished for years. However, this summer was different. The sun beat down relentlessly, and the heat was unbearable. Deepa’s mother, concerned about her well-being, had been insisting for weeks that she cut her long hair. She said it was too hot and difficult to manage, especially when the sun was at its peak.
“Deepa, it’s getting too hot outside. Your hair is too long. You need to cut it short,” her mother would say every day. “Look at how much you’re sweating. It’s not healthy!”
But Deepa loved her hair. It wasn’t just a part of her physical appearance, but a part of who she was. Her friends admired it, and she enjoyed the feeling of it flowing down her back. She didn’t want to give it up, even though the heat made her feel uncomfortable at times. She felt like her mother was overreacting, trying to make her look like everyone else. “Why does it matter so much, Amma?” she would say, trying to avoid the topic.
But her mother was persistent, and the pressure only increased with each passing day. Every time Deepa walked into the house, her mother would bring up the hair issue again, reminding her of the heat and how difficult it was to handle. Deepa felt trapped between her mother’s wishes and her own desire to keep her long hair. The more her mother pressured her, the more frustrated Deepa became. She loved her mother, but the constant nagging about her hair was starting to get to her. She didn’t understand why her mother couldn’t just let her be.
At college, things weren’t much different. Deepa’s friends also noticed how uncomfortable she was with her long hair. They would tease her, telling her she looked like she was going to faint from the heat. “Deepa, why don’t you just cut it? You’re sweating so much!” they would say, laughing. Deepa would smile awkwardly, trying to brush off their comments. But deep down, it made her feel more and more frustrated. Why was everyone so obsessed with her hair?
One afternoon, after another long day of dealing with her mother’s pleading and her friends’ comments, Deepa reached her breaking point. She was sitting alone in her room, staring at her reflection in the mirror. The sun outside was scorching, and she could feel the sweat dripping down her back. She thought about her mother’s words again—“Cut your hair, Deepa. It’s too hot.”
The frustration she had been holding inside for weeks finally exploded. Without thinking, she walked to the bathroom, grabbed a razor from the shelf, and stood in front of the mirror. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she stared at her reflection. In a moment of anger and defiance, she started shaving her hair. One stroke after another, her long hair fell to the floor. It was liberating, yet terrifying. But as the last strand of hair dropped, Deepa felt an overwhelming sense of relief. She was bald now, and it felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.
The next morning, Deepa walked into college, completely bald. She had expected some reactions, but not like this. As she entered the campus, everyone stopped and stared. Whispers spread quickly among the students. “Deepa, what happened to your hair? You shaved it off?” one of her friends exclaimed in disbelief. Deepa simply nodded, her expression calm.
“I did,” she said quietly, trying not to let the attention bother her. “It’s too hot. I just couldn’t handle it anymore.”
There was a brief silence as her friends processed what she had done. But then something amazing happened. A few girls in the class, inspired by Deepa’s boldness, started talking among themselves. “You know, maybe she’s right,” one of them said. “It’s so hot. I can’t keep dealing with this heat either.” Another girl nodded. “I think I’ll do it too. It looks so freeing.”
Within a few days, more and more girls in the college started following Deepa’s lead. Some did it because they couldn’t stand the heat anymore, while others were simply inspired by Deepa’s courage to do something so different, so bold. Deepa had started a quiet revolution in her college—one that wasn’t about following trends, but about embracing freedom and individuality.
A week later, Deepa walked home from college, her head held high. She had no hair, but she had something even more powerful—confidence. As she entered the house, her mother was sitting on the porch. Her mother’s eyes widened when she saw Deepa’s bald head.
“Deepa!” her mother gasped. “What have you done to your hair? You shaved it all off?”
Deepa stood there for a moment, looking at her mother. There was a mix of surprise, concern, and something else in her mother’s eyes. But Deepa didn’t feel ashamed. She felt strong.
“I did it, Amma,” Deepa said softly. “I couldn’t take it anymore. I felt suffocated by all the pressure. It’s just hair. It’ll grow back.”
Her mother stared at her, speechless. Deepa’s heart began to race. She wasn’t sure how her mother would react. But then, after a long pause, her mother spoke.
“I… I never thought you would do something like this,” her mother said, her voice soft. “But… I can see it now. You did this for yourself. You have more courage than I thought.”
Deepa smiled. Her mother wasn’t angry, and that made all the difference. But then, to Deepa’s surprise, her mother stood up and walked towards the bathroom. She picked up the razor that Deepa had used and looked at it for a moment. “Maybe I should try this too,” her mother said, almost to herself.
“Amma, you don’t have to,” Deepa said, her eyes wide. “You’re beautiful no matter what.”
But her mother just smiled, a quiet strength in her eyes. “I think it’s time I try something new too. If you can do it, maybe I can too.”
With Deepa’s help, her mother shaved her head. For the first time, Deepa saw her mother not as someone who always held onto tradition and expectations, but as a woman willing to let go of the old and embrace something new.
Over time, the trend spread across the town. More girls in the college, inspired by Deepa, shaved their heads. What started as a simple act of frustration had become a statement of courage and self-expression. And in the end, Deepa’s bold step didn’t just change her—it changed her entire family, and even her community.
Deepa’s mother, watching the women around her, understood. Sometimes, it wasn’t about what others expected of you. It was about being true to yourself, no matter what the world thought. And Deepa had shown her that strength.
