Legendary Head Shave Tales
The night was silent, except for the distant howling of dogs and the rustling of leaves in the warm village breeze. Padma clutched her dupatta tightly as she tiptoed through the cattle shed, her heart pounding in her chest. She had done this many times before, meeting Karthik in secret, but tonight felt different. There was a strange heaviness in the air, as if something bad is gonnahappen. As soon as Karthik saw her, his face lit up. He pulled a small garland of fresh jasmine from his pocket and tucked it into her long, thick braid.
“You look like a goddess, Paddu ,” he murmured, his fingers brushing against her hair. Padma blushed, but her eyes flickered with worry. “We shouldn’t meet like this anymore, Karthik. If my family finds out—” Before she could finish, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the shed. A dozen men surrounded them, holding thick sticks and torches, their faces twisted with fury. Padma gasped as she saw her uncle, father, and cousins standing among them.
“Ammayi, what are you doing here that to at this time ” her uncle’s voice boomed. “And this lowborn dog—how dare he touch you?” Karthik stepped in front of Padma, shielding her. “We love each other and we want to be together.” The next moment, a powerful slap landed on Padma’s cheek, sending her reeling. “Love? Tat to With this bastard?” her father spat, his eyes burning with rage. “You have brought dishonor to this house, Padma. And you,”—he turned to Karthik—“you will not walk out of here alive.”
The men pounced on Karthik, beating him mercilessly. His screams echoed through the night as Padma fell to her knees, crying and begging. “Mama! Please, I’ll do anything! Just let him go!” she sobbed, holding her uncle’s feet. “I’ll forget him! I’ll never see him again! Just don’t kill him!” Her uncle yanked her up by her arm. “You think you can erase your sins so easily? No, girl. You will be purified.”
Padma blinked in confusion. “P-Purified?” The crowd parted, and an old barber stepped forward, carrying a straight razor. The charm drained from Padma’s face. “No… no, please, not my hair!” she screamed, stumbling backward. She turned to her grandmother, the one who had always defended her in childhood. Her mother turned her face away, ashamed. Her grandmother stood firm, arms crossed, her expression cold , she shook her head. “Your hair is worthless now, Padma. You lost your dignity, now lose this too.” Padma screamed, pleaded, cried—but no one listened.
Her mother turned away. Her aunts stood silent. Her uncle grabbed her by the hair, forcing her still. Padma screamed, kicked, and struggled, but her two aunts held her down with a firm grip. The barber seized a handful of her thick, long hair… Shhrrkkk… shhrrkkk… The razor scraped across her scalp. The first strands fell, followed by more, thick, black tufts cascading down like fallen. The braid tumbled to the dusty ground, landing beside the crushed jasmine flower—Karthik’s gift, now lifeless in the dirt. Padma screamed as the razor scraped against her scalp, the uneven strokes tearing away her remaining hair mercilessly.
“Ahh!” Padma cried out as the blade tore through her tender scalp, slicing deeper with every rough stroke. Her soft skin burned, and with each rough stroke, sharp cuts opened, trickling thin lines of blood.The barber kept hid hand firm as he dragged the blade mercilessly over her bleeding scalp, ensuring not a single strand remained.Her aunts finally released her, stepping back with satisfaction. A cold hand lifted her chin. Her uncle sneered down at her.
“Now you are pure again… Now, let’s deal with this dog.” Padma was in shock, “Mama…?” Her uncle stepped over Karthik, who lay bloody and weak. He grabbed him by the hair, forcing his face up. “You think you can ruin our family’s honor and walk away untouched ?” he spat. Then he gave the order. “Cut it off.”Padma’s blood ran cold. “No! No! Please, Mama, don’t do this! Let him go!” But the men dragged Karthik to the wooden post, Karthik’s screams tore through the night as the blade sliced through his private part .
Padma collapsed, screaming, her voice raw with agony, her shorn hair pooling around her. The family stood around her, watching without sympathy. To them, justice was served. Honor was restored. That night, Padma and Karthik made their escape. They were determined that they would leave this place. They would run, survive, and fight for their love. Because even in the deepest of wounds, love could never be shaved away.
One Year Later…
Padma and Karthik had escaped leaving behind the village that destroyed them. They now lived in Hyderabad, working small jobs to survive. Padma never let her hair grow again. Every night, she sat in front of a small mirror, blade in hand, and shaved her head smooth. The first time, it was a silent rebellion against the family that destroyed her. But soon, it gave her pleasure – it sent shivers down her spine. Karthik watched in silence at first. Then, one evening, he picked up the blade and gently shaved the last bit of stubble from his head. His touch was soft, careful, It was intimate, raw, and something only they shared.
Over time, it became their ritual. Padma shaved Karthik’s head, and he shaved hers. The act was no longer a punishment but sexual pleasure, a mark of their bond, a secret only they understood. In the village, Padma’s family never regretted their actions. Her uncle was respected even more, praised for upholding the family’s honor. The aunts continued with their daily lives, unaffected, as if nothing had happened.
