ashhf_india
The Secret Dream of Badri
Part 2: An Unexpected Encounter
Life After the Honeymoon
Life in Chennai was going beautifully for Badri and Mythili.
Both had settled into their professional routines. Badri was busy with software projects, meetings and deadlines, while Mythili continued her work as a Chartered Accountant.
They had developed a comfortable rhythm as a couple.
Their weekends were usually reserved for shopping, movies, restaurants and occasional visits to their relatives.
Mythili continued maintaining her beautiful, long black hair. She regularly applied oil, washed it and kept it neatly braided or tied up.
Badri loved watching her get ready.
Sometimes he would stand behind her while she combed her hair, admiring its length and thickness.
His secret fascination with short hairstyles remained buried deep inside him.
Badri’s Illness
One month, Badri suddenly developed a high fever.
Initially, he thought it was an ordinary viral infection. However, after medical consultation and blood tests, he was diagnosed with dengue.
Mythili became extremely worried.
She took leave from some of her professional commitments and concentrated on looking after him.
She ensured that he followed the doctor’s advice, took his prescribed medication and stayed hydrated.
For several days, Badri remained weak and tired.
Mythili barely left his side.
She prepared food for him, reminded him about his medicines and constantly checked on his recovery.
Badri felt fortunate to have such a caring wife.
Gradually, his platelet count and overall condition improved. After the doctor’s confirmation that he was recovering, he slowly returned to his normal routine.
A Vow at the Temple
During his illness, Mythili’s family and Badri’s parents had prayed for his recovery.
Badri had also made a personal vow.
Once he recovered completely, he wanted to offer his hair at a temple as an expression of gratitude.
After receiving medical clearance and regaining his strength, he travelled to Samayapuram with Mythili.
He offered his hair as part of his prayer.
For Badri, it was a meaningful religious experience.
When he returned home, Mythili was surprised by his completely shaved head.
She smiled and touched his head.
“You look completely different!”
Badri laughed.
“It’s only hair. It will grow again.”
“Still, I’m not used to seeing you like this.”
He looked at himself in the mirror.
For a few weeks, he enjoyed his new appearance.
A Conversation with Sindhu
Meanwhile, Badri’s professional life continued.
He worked with a software development team that included his colleague and friend Sindhu.
Sindhu was married and had been working with Badri on several projects.
One afternoon, while discussing a project update over the phone, Badri casually asked her something.
“By the way, Sindhu, why did you apply for work from home for an entire month?”
Sindhu explained that her husband had recently been diagnosed with COVID.
“Oh! Is he okay now?” Badri asked.
“He’s recovering, but I need to be at home to take care of him. That’s why I requested WFH.”
Badri understood.
“Take care of him. Don’t worry about the project. We’ll manage.”
They returned to discussing their work.
A few days later, Sindhu resumed coming to the office.
The Team Lunch
The company had organised a team lunch at a restaurant in Chennai.
Badri arrived with a few colleagues and was waiting near the entrance.
While talking to another team member, he noticed a woman approaching their table.
At first, he didn’t recognise her.
She was wearing a smart office outfit, and her hairstyle was completely different.
Her hair was cut extremely short in a neat boycut.
As she came closer, he realised it was Sindhu.
“Hey, Sindhu!”
She smiled.
“Hi, Badri!”
He looked at her again, surprised by her transformation.
“Wow! Is that really you?”
She laughed.
“Of course! Who else?”
“Your hairstyle! You look completely different.”
Sindhu smiled and explained.
“Actually, I had my head shaved at Tirupati.”
Badri was surprised.
“Really? You shaved your head?”
“Yes. When my husband was diagnosed with COVID, I prayed for his recovery. I had made a vow that I would offer my hair at Tirupati if he recovered.”
“Oh, I see. How is he now?”
“He’s completely fine. So I fulfilled my vow.”
Badri nodded.
“That’s wonderful. I’m glad he’s doing well.”
Sindhu then looked closely at Badri.
“By the way, you look different too! What happened to your hair?”
Badri laughed.
“I also offered my hair at Samayapuram after recovering from dengue.”
Sindhu looked surprised.
“Seriously? You also had a head shave?”
“Yes. I made a vow during my illness.”
They both laughed about their unexpected temple hair offerings.
The Head-Shave Conversation
As they settled down for lunch, Badri became curious about Sindhu’s experience.
“Tell me something. How was the head-shaving experience at Tirupati?”
Sindhu smiled.
“It was quite an experience. I had never imagined that I would completely remove my hair.”
“Were you nervous?”
“Very much. I had long hair before. I kept wondering how I would look without it.”
“What happened when you sat down for the shave?”
She explained how she had visited the temple, completed the formalities and sat down for the ritual.
“It was emotional, actually. I was thinking about my husband and my prayer. Once it was over, I felt relieved.”
“Did you feel strange seeing yourself bald?”
“Initially, yes. I couldn’t recognise myself in the mirror. But I was happy because I had fulfilled my vow.”
Badri listened with unusual interest.
Sindhu continued.
“I didn’t want to remain completely bald for too long, so I eventually decided to grow it into a short boycut.”
Badri looked at her hairstyle again.
“It suits you. Very different from your old appearance.”
“Thank you! My husband likes it too.”
Badri smiled.
“That’s nice.”
The conversation returned to work and other office matters.
But something had changed inside Badri.
An Unexpected Awakening
Seeing Sindhu with her boycut had affected Badri more than he expected.
He had always been fascinated by women’s short hairstyles. However, until then, the idea had remained mostly within his imagination.
Now he had seen someone he knew personally go through a complete head shave and emerge with a completely different appearance.
He found himself thinking about the transformation.
He remembered Sindhu’s description of sitting for the ritual, her long hair being removed and her initial surprise at seeing herself without it.
His imagination returned to Mythili.
He pictured his wife with a beautiful short bob.
Then a boycut.
Then, inevitably, the more extreme images that he had kept hidden for years.
He remembered Mythili’s long, healthy hair and how carefully she maintained it.
He wondered how different she would look with short hair.
Would she like a bob?
Would she ever consider a boycut?
What would happen if she saw Sindhu’s transformation?
And how would his mother react if Mythili ever chose to cut her hair very short?
Badri knew that these were only thoughts. Mythili had her own preferences, and he respected them.
But seeing Sindhu had awakened his old fascination with renewed intensity.
That evening, after returning home, he found Mythili sitting on the sofa with her long hair loosely tied.
She looked at him and smiled.
“How was the team lunch?”
“Good. We had a nice time.”
“Did you meet Sindhu?”
“Yes.”
“How is she? I remember you telling me about her husband’s illness.”
“He’s doing well now.”
Mythili nodded.
Badri paused for a moment.
“She has changed her hairstyle completely.”
“Really? What did she do?”
“She offered her hair at Tirupati because of her husband’s recovery. Now she’s growing it into a boycut.”
Mythili looked surprised.
“She shaved her head?”
“Yes.”
“That’s quite a big decision.”
Badri nodded.
“Yes. She looks very different now.”
Mythili returned to what she was doing.
But Badri continued thinking about the conversation.
For the first time in a long while, he wondered whether he should finally tell his wife about his fascination with short ha
irstyles.
He was perfectly happy with Mythili.
He loved her long hair.
But somewhere inside him, his desire to see her with short hair was growing stronger.
And now, after seeing Sindhu’s transformation, that secret dream had become more vivid than ever.
To be continued…
