Legendary Head Shave Tales
After a month… Aunt’s Daughter’s Birthday party was in full swing, the rich aroma of biryani and sweets filling the air as guests laughed and chatted in the grand hall. Lavanya and Manasa stood beside their mother, watching as a group of women admired her long, thick hair. Amma smiled modestly, enjoying the praise. Just then, their Aunt stepped in, her voice dripping with false concern. She noticed Manasa’s uneven, messy hair and sighed dramatically. “Aiyo, Manasa! Struggling to grow back, ah? Such a pity after all that beautiful hair was shaved off.” Manasa forced a polite smile. The Aunt then turned to Lavanya, tilting her head with a smirk. “And Lavanya… your bob-cut looked nice at first, but now… it’s looking a quiet odd” Lavanya lowered her gaze, swallowing the humiliation.
The next morning, as Amma sipped her coffee, she sighed, recalling last night’s party. “Manasa’s hair is growing messy, and even Lavanya’s bob looks odd now,” she said to Ajji. Nodding, Ajji replied, “Exactly! Untidy hair makes girls look bad. Its better to keep it short and neat.” Amma hesitated, running her fingers through her long braid. “Even Aunt suggested me to take them for the salon,” she admitted. Ajji, firm as ever, said, “Not just them—you too! At this age, why struggle with long hair? Go to the barbershop and get sensible cuts. Fresh and clean, that’s how women should look.” Amma frowned but didn’t argue—Ajji’s word was final. At the salon. Amma, still upset about last night’s taunts, told the barber, “Give them some short haircut.”
Lavanya sat first. The barber quickly chopped her hair, leaving her with a short bob cut. Lavanya’s plan was working, but losing hair again felt strange. Next, Manasa sat down. Amma said “Go short,” she said. The barber trimmed it into a boy cut. Amma frowned. “ it’s not neat. Just use trimmer and shave it off.” Manasa’s eyes widened. “Amma, no!” But the clippers buzzed to life, and within minutes, her head was completely stubbles again. Finally, Amma just got a small trim, keeping her long braid. As they left, at home, Ajji’s sharp eyes scanned all three of them. She frowned. “What kind of haircuts are these? Lavanya’s bob is still long, and Manasa’s head is not smooth enough. And you, you barely cut anything!” Ajji in disappointment. “This is why people taunt us…now call the barber home right now. All three of you need proper haircuts.” Manasa’s face fell, and Lavanya’s heart pounded. Amma sighed, knowing there was no escaping Ajji’s decision.
As the barber set up in the courtyard, Ajji’s ordered . “No more uneven cuts. Everyone gets proper haircuts today.” all three sat tensely, knowing resistance was useless. Lavanya went from short bob to boycut , manasa was shaved completely with straight razor and Amma’s but length hair was cut to hip length. Ajji nodded in satisfaction. Manasa rubbed her bare scalp in silent humiliation, Amma touched her shorter hair with regret, and Lavanya had secretly started liking her short bob, but now, with this boy cut, she felt exposed and awkward. She ran her fingers through her cropped hair, This is too short, too boyish… She bit her lip, holding back her frustration, but inside, anger boiled. A month later Manasa got a job. She covered her bald head with a dupatta and felt happy to start fresh. But their happiness didn’t last long. Just a few days later, Ajji had a sudden heart stroke and passed away. The house was filled with sadness.
With Ajji absence, Amma began to take control in her own way.A year passed, and Ajji’s sudden heart stroke left the house in silence. But as grief faded, Amma slowly took charge. She kept strict control over Lavanya and Manasa. Every month, she took them to the barbershop and gave them short bobcuts and she pampered her own hair with expensive oils and herbal treatments. Lavanya sat quietly, Her plan was ready—she just had to wait for the right moment to strike. While buying groceries, She quietly picked up a small bottle of hair removal tonic from a local shop. Late at night, when everyone was asleep, she sneaked into Amma’s room. With steady hands, she poured the tonic into Amma’s luxurious hair oil, mixing it carefully and Placing the bottle back exactly as it was, she took a deep breath. Now, all she had to do was wait.
A few days after using her expensive hair products, Amma noticed unusual hair fall, thick strands covered her pillow, the shower drain clogged faster, and every brush stroke left clumps behind. Her heart pounded as fear gripped her—was it stress, age, or something worse? Each morning, more strands clogged the drain, more patches appeared, and Amma’s frustration deepened. One day, unable to hide the damage anymore, Amma finally agreed to visit a salon. Lavanya carefully chose a busy weekend, ensuring the place was crowded. Amma, still in denial, asked for just a trim, but the stylist hesitated, “Madam, a head shave is the best option. It will grow back healthier.” Amma’s eyes widened in shock. “No! Just trim it… only what’s necessary,” she insisted, gripping the chair tightly.
The barber hesitated but nodded, carefully cutting her once-glorious locks up to her shoulders. With each snip, Amma’s heart sank—her pride was slipping away. She avoided the mirror, afraid to see herself. As the cut finished, she ran her fingers through her much shorter hair, forcing a weak smile. She had saved what little she could… for now.Days later, Amma’s hair grew worse, with visible patches despite her careful styling. At a family gathering at Aunt’s house, she sat stiffly, hoping to avoid attention. A child, playing nearby, accidentally pulled off her scarf. Gasps filled the room. Aunt smirked, “Oh dear, what happened to your crowning glory?” Laughter echoed, Amma’s face turned pale, her hands shaking as she grabbed the scarf.
That evening, Amma sat in front of the mirror, eyes filled with anger and sadness. Her hands trembled as she touched her thinning, uneven hair—her pride was gone. Lavanya sat beside her, speaking softly, “You always said a woman’s grace is in her confidence, not just her hair , let it go instead of facing more shame Amma ?” Manasa added, “A fresh start is better than this suffering, Amma.” Lavanya ran her fingers through Amma’s uneven, thinning hair and picked up the razor. “Stay still, Amma. We’ll make it neat,” she said gently. Amma, exhausted, closed her eyes as Lavanya placed the blade at her forehead and dragged it back. A clean, bald patch appeared. Manasa took the razor next, gliding it smoothly over the remaining strands. The quiet scraping sound filled the room as thick tufts of hair tumbled onto Amma’s lap. Lavanya watched closely, Manasa’s strokes were firm, almost eager. She was enjoying this. Stroke after stroke, Amma’s head turned smooth, the last traces of her hair vanishing under the blade. As the final strip was shaved clean, Amma lifted a shaky hand to touch her bare scalp, her fingers trembling. Lavanya and Manasa exchanged a look—the deed was done.
Amma’s eyes narrowed. She turned to Lavanya and Manasa, her voice sharp. “You two… you did something! You’re behind this!”she falsely blamed her daughter’s.bAs Amma’s accusations echoed in the room, Lavanya’s patience snapped. Her mother’s piercing gaze, the unfair blame—it was too much. Without a word, she grabbed the razor and sat in front of the mirror. In one swift motion, she ran the blade from her forehead to the back of her head, leaving a clean bald strip in its wake. The room fell silent. Stroke after stroke, her short hair tumbled down, gathering at her feet. Manasa, still reeling, felt something stir inside her. She met Lavanya’s intense gaze, then turned to Amma, whose face was frozen . A slow smirk played on Manasa’s lips as she picked up the razor. “If Lavanya is bald, then so am I,” she declared. She dragged the razor across her head, each stroke swift and deliberate. Thick locks rained down as she bared her scalp .
When it was over, the two sisters stood side by side, their freshly shaven heads gleaming under the dim light.Lavanya stated “Until Amma’s hair grows back, I will shave my head every day.” Her words stunned everyone. Even Manasa looked at her in shock. Amma stood frozen, staring at her two bald daughters. Anger, guilt, and disbelief filled her eyes. She never expected them to go this far. Without a word, she turned and locked herself in her room. The house fell silent for a week. . Every morning, Amma ran her fingers over her bare head, hoping to feel some roughness, some sign of regrowth—but there was nothing. One evening, as Manasa combed her overgrown boy cut, she sighed. “Enough, Lavanya. Stop shaving and grow your hair.” But Lavanya only smiled shyly and walked to the bathroom. As the razor glided over her scalp.
Lavanya stared at her bald head in the mirror, running her fingers over the smooth skin. “It all started with my head shave… the betrayal, the pain.” A smirk formed on her lips. “Manasa never knew I was behind her job loss… behind her head shave. She thought it was fate. And Ajji… strong and feared. But without her medicine, she was weak. I made sure of it and Amma… you never realized the luxury products you loved were your downfall. Every hair that fell was because of me.” Opening the bottle of permanent hair removal oil her hands trembled slightly, not with fear, but with excitement. she poured it onto her scalp, rubbing it in slowly. The oil seeped in, sealing her fate forever. A shiver of pleasure ran through her as she touched her scalp, knowing no strand would ever return. With a wicked smile on her lips. “Yes… it was worth it.
Not all secrets are meant to be revealed… some are meant to be Lived
***** THE END *****
