ashhf_india
The Secret Dream of Badri
Part 3: A Dream Growing Stronger
The Thoughts That Wouldn’t Go Away
After the team lunch, Badri couldn’t stop thinking about Sindhu’s transformation.
He had seen many women with short hairstyles before, but Sindhu’s story was different. She was someone he knew personally. She had maintained her hair, made a religious vow, offered her hair at Tirupati and eventually adopted a boycut.
What fascinated Badri was the complete transformation.
He began wondering how many women in his own professional circle had undergone similar experiences.
His curiosity gradually increased.
One afternoon, while having coffee with two female colleagues, he casually brought up the subject.
“Have either of you ever offered your hair at Tirupati?”
One colleague laughed.
“Why this sudden question, Badri?”
“Nothing. I met Sindhu recently. She told me about her head-shaving experience.”
“Oh, Sindhu! Yes, I saw her new hairstyle. She looks completely different.”
Another colleague joined the conversation.
“My cousin also tonsured her head at Tirupati after her husband’s recovery from an illness.”
Badri became interested.
“Really? Was she married?”
“Of course! She’s married and has two children. She offered her hair as part of a vow.”
Badri nodded.
He casually continued asking about the experience.
He learnt that another senior woman in their organisation had also offered her hair at Tirupati a few years earlier.
She had apparently maintained long hair before her pilgrimage.
“She had beautiful long hair,” the colleague explained. “After tonsuring, she initially remained bald and later started growing it again.”
Badri listened carefully.
He was surprised by how many married women in his professional circle had willingly offered their hair.
For him, these conversations were becoming increasingly fascinating.
He wasn’t merely hearing religious stories anymore.
He was imagining the transformations.
Mythili’s Childhood Haircut
That evening, Badri returned home and found Mythili sitting on the sofa, browsing through some office documents.
Her long hair was loosely tied behind her back.
He sat beside her.
“Can I ask you something?”
“What?”
“Have you ever cut your hair very short?”
Mythili looked at him.
“Why?”
“Just curious. Have you ever had a boycut or something?”
She laughed.
“No! Why would I have a boycut?”
“Never? Not even during college?”
“No. During childhood, I had a short haircut once. But after that, I’ve always maintained long hair.”
Badri became curious.
“So you’ve never experienced short hair as an adult?”
“No, Badri. I told you, I like my long hair.”
He smiled mischievously.
“One day I’ll take you to a barber and get your hair cut short!”
Mythili immediately turned towards him.
“What?”
“Yes! Mottai! Mottai!”
He laughed and playfully teased her.
“Imagine you without your long hair!”
Mythili picked up a cushion and hit him playfully.
“Stop it! I won’t allow you anywhere near my hair.”
Badri laughed.
“Okay, okay. I’m only joking.”
Mythili shook her head.
“You and your strange ideas!”
They both laughed.
But after the conversation, Badri found himself imagining the very situation he had joked about.
He pictured Mythili sitting in a barber’s chair, her long hair being cut shorter and shorter.
He quickly pushed the thought aside.
He knew Mythili was only comfortable with her existing hairstyle.
The Hair-Fall Problem
A few weeks later, Mythili began noticing something unusual.
Her hair seemed to be falling more than usual.
Initially, she ignored it.
But after noticing more strands on her comb, bathroom floor and pillow, she became concerned.
One evening, she showed Badri the hair collected from her comb.
“Look at this. My hair is falling quite a lot.”
Badri examined it.
“Is it more than usual?”
“Definitely. I’m worried because I’ve always had thick hair.”
She decided to visit a salon and consult a hair-care professional.
The professional examined her hair and scalp and suggested a suitable hair-care routine, including a serum intended to support healthier-looking hair and improve its condition.
Mythili started following the recommendations.
She became more careful about washing and conditioning her hair.
After a few weeks, she noticed some improvement in its overall appearance. Her hair felt healthier, but the shedding hadn’t completely stopped.
She was still concerned.
Badri noticed her increasing attention towards hair care.
He didn’t want to make her more anxious.
Instead, he suggested a small change.
A Small Trim
One Sunday morning, while Mythili was combing her hair, Badri noticed the ends looked slightly dry.
“Why don’t you trim the ends?”
She looked at him.
“Trim?”
“Yes. Just a little. The ends look dry. You can get a nice haircut without losing much length.”
Mythili considered his suggestion.
“Maybe I should. It’s been quite some time since I had a proper trim.”
“Exactly. You can also try an anti-dandruff hair spa.”
She agreed.
A few days later, Mythili visited her regular salon.
She asked the hairdresser to trim only the damaged ends while maintaining her original length.
The hairdresser carefully removed a small portion of the ends and gave her hair a neat finish.
She also opted for an anti-dandruff hair spa.
When she returned home, Badri noticed the difference.
“Had your haircut?”
“Just a little trim. I didn’t want to lose much length.”
He smiled.
“Looks nice.”
Mythili ran her fingers through her hair.
“I also had a hair spa. Hopefully, my hair will become healthier.”
Badri nodded.
He genuinely wanted her to feel good about her hair.
But internally, he had been hoping for something more dramatic.
An Unspoken Expectation
Over the following weeks, Badri occasionally found himself wondering whether Mythili might surprise him one day.
Perhaps she would suddenly decide to try a bob.
Perhaps she would come home with shoulder-length hair.
Sometimes, when they went shopping, he would casually show her photographs of women with short hairstyles.
Mythili would look at them and occasionally compliment the styles.
But she never suggested getting one herself.
Her preference remained unchanged.
She liked her long hair and wanted to restore its previous thickness and health.
Badri understood this.
Still, every time he saw a woman with a neat bob, a pixie cut or a completely shaved head, his imagination returned to Mythili.
He began comparing hairstyles in his mind.
He wondered whether a bob would suit her face.
He imagined her with a boycut.
And sometimes he imagined the extreme transformation he had never discussed with her.
He knew he couldn’t expect Mythili to fulfil every private fantasy he had.
But the desire remained.
A Quiet Disappointment
One evening, Mythili was getting ready for bed.
She had washed her hair and left it loose to dry.
Badri was sitting on the bed, looking at her.
“What’s the matter?” she asked.
“Nothing.”
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
He smiled.
“Your hair looks nice.”
“Thank you. The hair spa helped a little.”
She sat beside him.
“I’m thinking of continuing the treatment for a few more weeks. I really want my hair fall to reduce.”
Badri nodded.
“That’s good. Take care of it.”
Mythili smiled and rested her head against his shoulder.
He gently played with the ends of her hair.
Her hair was still long, beautiful and familiar.
She was happy with it.
He was happy with her.
Yet, somewhere inside him, he felt a little disappointed.
He had secretly hoped that his wife might develop an interest in experimenting with shorter hairstyles.
Perhaps the conversations about Sindhu, the photographs and his occasional teasing would make her curious.
But nothing of that sort had happened.
Mythili was not thinking about a bob, a boycut or a head shave.
She was thinking about reducing her hair fall and maintaining her long hair.
Badri slowly realised something.
The haircut he kept imagining was his dream, not Mythili’s.
He couldn’t expect her to suddenly want something simply because he found it fascinating.
He loved her long hair, too. He loved watching her take care of it.
And he certainly didn’t want her to feel that she needed to change herself to keep him happy.
He kissed her forehead.
“What’s wrong?” she asked again.
“Nothing, Mythili. I’m just happy you’re here.”
She smiled and hugged him.
Badri held her close.
His secret fascination was still there, perhaps stronger than ever.
But he had not yet found the
courage to tell her the full extent of it.
And Mythili remained completely unaware of how much thought her husband had been giving to the possibility of seeing her with short hair.
For now, her long hair remained exactly where she wanted it.
And Badri continued carrying his secret dream.
To be continued…
