Mom's
Mom Trapped by Her Colony Friends
The Holi celebration in the colony was a vibrant affair, with colors flying everywhere and music filling the air. The neighborhood was buzzing with excitement, and Mom, dressed in a beautiful lehenga and blouse, was the star of the party. Her waist-length black hair, flowing freely, added to her grace as she danced with abandon. The colors splattered across her hair only made her look more radiant as she twirled, catching the attention of everyone around her.
As she danced, her hair became a focal point. The men admired her elegant beauty, often complimenting her. One of them laughed, saying, “Your hair is stunning, bhabhi, it’s almost too perfect for a Holi party!”
In the crowd, Mom’s friends—led by Priya, who had always secretly been envious of her hair—watched with ill intentions. They exchanged knowing glances, whispering among themselves.
“This is the perfect opportunity to finally do something about her hair,” Priya said with a sly grin. “She’ll never notice until it’s too late.”
With the bhang taking effect and everyone in a carefree mood, Priya made her move. She signaled to her friends, who led Mom to a chair in the middle of the party.
“Sit here, bhabhi, relax! Let us take care of you,” one of them said.
Mom, already feeling the effects of the bhang, giggled and sat down, not suspecting what was to come. Priya, with a mischievous smile, brought out a pair of scissors she had brought from home. She gently removed Mom’s chunni (scarf) from her shoulders and stood behind her.
“Don’t worry, bhabhi,” Priya said, “We’re just going to give you a little trim.”
Before Mom could protest, Priya cut a few inches off the back of her hair, making it fall just below her shoulders.
One of the other women, seeing this, chimed in, “That’s not enough. Let’s make it a bit shorter. It’ll look much better!”
They all agreed, and with each snip, Mom’s long, beautiful hair was cut shorter, now reaching the middle of her back. Mom, still under the influence of bhang, felt confused but didn’t realize the extent of what was happening.
Priya, sensing that they were almost done, said, “It will grow back. Let’s take it a little shorter. Just to shoulder length. It’ll look so modern!”
Without waiting for a response, they continued, cutting Mom’s hair until it was choppy and uneven, reaching just above her shoulders. A few strands fell onto the ground, and her beautiful long hair seemed to disappear bit by bit.
As they finished, everyone stepped back, admiring their work, ready to leave. But Priya had one last idea.
“Let’s give her bangs! It’ll complete the look,” she suggested.
They all eagerly agreed. The first cut created a long, soft bang that framed her face, but another friend quickly spoke up, “No, no. A shorter bang will look much better. We can make it more edgy!”
With that, they chopped off the long bangs and made them much shorter, uneven, and blunt, giving Mom a messy, choppy fringe.
By the time they were done, Mom’s hair was no longer the flowing, waist-length beauty it had been. Instead, she had a disheveled, uneven shoulder-length bob with short bangs. The women stepped back, pleased with their handiwork.
“Perfect! She’ll look fabulous!” Priya said, as the group laughed and began to walk away.
Mom, still dazed from the bhang, couldn’t even fathom what had just happened. She stood up and glanced in a nearby mirror, her heart sinking. Her beautiful, long hair was gone, replaced with an uneven bob and sharp bangs.
As the effects of the bhang started to fade, she began to realize the full extent of what had happened. She felt a pang of regret but didn’t know how to fix it.
When she got home, Dad immediately noticed the drastic change. His face tightened with concern. “What happened to your hair?” he asked, his voice laced with frustration.
Mom explained everything, recounting how the bhang had dulled her judgment, and her friends had tricked her. Dad shook his head, disappointed. “You should have known better than to trust them with something so important to you. This was careless.”
The next morning, feeling desperate to fix the damage, Mom decided to visit the salon. She walked into the shop, determined to salvage what was left of her hair.
The stylist took one look at her and nodded sympathetically. “We can work with this. How about a long bob to balance things out?”
After a careful cut, Mom left the salon with a sleek, flattering long bob that suited her face perfectly. The bangs were evened out, and the cut gave her a modern, polished look.
When she returned home, everyone in the family was impressed. Dad, though still a bit wary, couldn’t help but smile. “That looks great on you,” he said. “It suits your personality now, fresh and stylish.”
Mom smiled, running her fingers through her new bob. For the first time in a while
