Balamma got up and sat on the preparation stool facing the goddess,
hands in her lap. She was wearing a white sari with a dark red border. The rest
of the women on either side sat silently. Kamala came up and removed the ring
of flowers around Balamma's large and thick bun. This was expertly tied
halfway between the crown and the nape. Kamala then pulled it free and started
to comb out her thick butt length hair.
Balamma felt the comb glide through her thick locks. She was forty eight and this would probably be the last time for her on the stool. She sat quite still as the barber's wife prepared her. After a few minutes of combing, Kamala pulled the hair tightly to the nape and tied it in a bun again. Balamma's head bobbed as her hair was tied in a large thick bun once again. But this time, it was lower down at the nape. The preparations were complete. She barely heard the words "Please come" spoken by Kamala. She got up and followed Kamala to the shaving stool.
Balamma knelt in front of the goddess and touched her forehead to the ground. "Jayanti, you are next." said Balamma as she got up to sit on the stool. She bent her head in supplication. The scissors were ready. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Kamala stand beside her and the blade of the scissors enter her hair. Everyone watched intently as the scissors slid into her hair and there was a loud snip. The ritual cut was made and it was time for the barber to take over.
Vijay came up to Balamma and placed sheets and the box containing the tools beside her on the floor. He unfolded a sheet he covered her with it and then drew then ends around her neck. Pulling it close, he tucked the ends in, securing it as a cape. The sheet fell past her knees and hung down at the back. Then he adjusted the sheet to make sure it covered her completely. He bent her head gently and squeezed the large thick bun. It was soft and silky, and tied very tight. He bent down and took out the scissors. He placed a hand on her head and bent her head forward. She knew what was coming and bent her head. On the stool, she would have to surrender completely to the barber irrespective of her position in life. Her hair was now in the barber's control. He snipped the scissors in the air a few times and then slid the scissors into her locks above the bun and closed them. There was a loud snip as the sharp scissors cut through the section of hair. The bun did not move. Not yet. Balamma closed her eyes.
Meanwhile, Hearing Balamma's words Jayanti got up and pulled the pallu of her sari around her waist. It was a sky blue sari with a dark blue border. She was forty three years of age and this was the fourth time on the stool. She would have to shave once more in her life. Then she walked to the stool and sat down with her hands and her pallu in her lap. Her hair too was tied in a thick bun with flowers around it. Kamala was waiting for her and removed the flowers. Catching her husband's eyes, she flashed him a quick smile. She squeezed Jayanti's bun it gently feeling the texture of her hair. If anything, her bun was thicker than Balamma's. Pushing her thumb into the centre, she pulled it hair loose. The almost knee length silky hair unwound and fell hanging a foot from the floor.
Vijay, standing beside Balamma, continued to snip away at the hair as it entered the twist of the bun. Snip after snip seemed to echo through the silent orchard. Everyone seated there had a clear view of the hair being snipped away. Slowly the bun began to part from the head as more and more sections of hair were cut. The women on either side could clearly see the bun slowly move down. Balamma felt the weight of her butt long hair move to a constantly decreasing section at her nape as the snips resounded in her ears. She felt his hand on her head, holding it down firmly. She did not resist. A fine sprinkling of hair had fallen on her neck and cape. But this was just the beginning. She felt the weight of her hair sudden ease as he picked up the bun and put the scissors to the last section. He slid the scissors onto it and started to cut through the final section. The sound of the sharp scissors slicing and snipping though her hair filled Bala's ears. There was a resounding snip as the scissors cut the heavy bun free.
Jayanti could not help but watch in helplessness as her co-sister's bun was being cut. It filled her with an impeding sense of despair. Jayanti felt her hair gathered up and tried to relax as her hair was being combed out. But it was not easy. She knew that the time for the shave was fast approaching. The barber was more than half way through snipping away at Balamma's bun. She usually enjoyed it when someone combed out her hair. But this was not the occasion.
The barber let the bun fall to the floor. Placing the scissors in his shirt pocket, he then picked up the water sprayer and started to wet Bala’s hair. Some of the mist drifted towards the women sitting close. The barber used his fingers to thoroughly massage the water into Bala's hair, enjoying the feel of the thick silky locks of hair becoming wet. It fell around her in a wet limp and rough bob. Once the hair was thoroughly wet, the barber took the comb and started to comb out the hair, parting it in the middle. Water dripped from the comb and from the ends of her hair as she was prepared for the final shave. He took up the razor and a blade and broke the blade neatly in half. One half was dropped back into the box and the other half, inserted into the razor.
This was Kamala's cue to stop combing. She'd have to finish plaiting Jayanti's hair before her husband finished shaving Balamma. She divided Jayanti’s hair into three sections and started to weave a tight plait. Preparing the beautiful hair for her husband's scissors delighted her. Jayanti sat still; there was nothing she could do now, but to submit. She sat still as Kamala expertly wove her hair into a thick plait. She knew she could cut Jayanti’s plait if she wanted, but she decided to let her husband cut it. She had an eye on another woman's (Shobha) plait that was the same length and thickness.
Vijay was quite busy with Balamma. He stood in front of her and placed his hand on her head again, bending it to position. Using his thumb he stretched her scalp at the beginning of the hair parting an inch from the crown. Bala felt the blade of the razor against her scalp as the barber expertly ran it down the hair parting. An inch wide strip of scalp was exposed. Then he moved to her right temple and started to shave straight down from the parting. Quick neat strokes laid bare more and more of her scalp as the barber worked down the sides towards her ear. Thick wet clumps of hair hung for a while before falling to the sheet covering her. Odd strands of hair stuck to her cheeks. He reached her right ear and stopped.
Kamala was taking her time with Jayanti's plait. It was coming along beautifully. She was sorely tempted to cut it, but managed to overcome the temptation. She would get her chance with the other woman anyway. She smiled to herself at that thought. She paused to comb the hair a little and continued with her appointed task. She felt a twinge that she wouldn't get to oil and massage this silky hair for quite some time, but that soon passed as well.
Vijay now moved to Balamma's left side, and shaved in a similar manner and the pile of wet hair in Bala's lap continued to grow. She was half shaved now. Then he bent her head forward. He turned her head a bit, and ensuring that the women sitting could still see what was happening. Then, starting at the crown, he shaved a clean strip down to her nape. A lock of wet hair tumbled to the floor, landing on the bun which had been scissored off barely a few minutes ago. He adjusted her head again and started shaving from the top towards her ears, pushing the hair onto the sheet. He folded her right ear to shave carefully behind it. Then he did the same to her left ear. Starting on the back he pushed her head down till her chin was on her chest. Bala obediently bent her head the way he wanted.
He started shaving down from the top, clearing away towards the nape in straight strokes. As she felt the razor move towards her nape, she realized that her shave was coming to a close. Kamala meanwhile had finished with Jayanti's plait. She secured the end with an elastic band, leaving about six inches free. She picked up the plait and ran her hands down it feeling the texture and squeezing it into shape. Jayanti saw the shave coming to a close. Her own shave was now very, very close. Balamma opened her eyes and saw the large heap of wet hair in her lap. The cape was wet in her lap because of the wet hair.
Her heart sank to see her lovely hair lying in wet clumps in her lap. The barber continued to shave away the remaining locks, running the razor down her neck to clean it up. She was shaved clean. She had a ring of wet hair on the back of her neck and wet hair clinging all over the cape. The barber removed the hair from her neck and pushed it into her lap. Then he undid the sheet and carefully took it off. Picking up the bun, he dropped it in the basket. She took a towel from one of the servant girls who had accompanied them, and wiped her head. The barber shook the cape out letting the hair fall to the floor. The stool was now ready for Jayanti.
Balamma felt the comb glide through her thick locks. She was forty eight and this would probably be the last time for her on the stool. She sat quite still as the barber's wife prepared her. After a few minutes of combing, Kamala pulled the hair tightly to the nape and tied it in a bun again. Balamma's head bobbed as her hair was tied in a large thick bun once again. But this time, it was lower down at the nape. The preparations were complete. She barely heard the words "Please come" spoken by Kamala. She got up and followed Kamala to the shaving stool.
Balamma knelt in front of the goddess and touched her forehead to the ground. "Jayanti, you are next." said Balamma as she got up to sit on the stool. She bent her head in supplication. The scissors were ready. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Kamala stand beside her and the blade of the scissors enter her hair. Everyone watched intently as the scissors slid into her hair and there was a loud snip. The ritual cut was made and it was time for the barber to take over.
Vijay came up to Balamma and placed sheets and the box containing the tools beside her on the floor. He unfolded a sheet he covered her with it and then drew then ends around her neck. Pulling it close, he tucked the ends in, securing it as a cape. The sheet fell past her knees and hung down at the back. Then he adjusted the sheet to make sure it covered her completely. He bent her head gently and squeezed the large thick bun. It was soft and silky, and tied very tight. He bent down and took out the scissors. He placed a hand on her head and bent her head forward. She knew what was coming and bent her head. On the stool, she would have to surrender completely to the barber irrespective of her position in life. Her hair was now in the barber's control. He snipped the scissors in the air a few times and then slid the scissors into her locks above the bun and closed them. There was a loud snip as the sharp scissors cut through the section of hair. The bun did not move. Not yet. Balamma closed her eyes.
Meanwhile, Hearing Balamma's words Jayanti got up and pulled the pallu of her sari around her waist. It was a sky blue sari with a dark blue border. She was forty three years of age and this was the fourth time on the stool. She would have to shave once more in her life. Then she walked to the stool and sat down with her hands and her pallu in her lap. Her hair too was tied in a thick bun with flowers around it. Kamala was waiting for her and removed the flowers. Catching her husband's eyes, she flashed him a quick smile. She squeezed Jayanti's bun it gently feeling the texture of her hair. If anything, her bun was thicker than Balamma's. Pushing her thumb into the centre, she pulled it hair loose. The almost knee length silky hair unwound and fell hanging a foot from the floor.
Vijay, standing beside Balamma, continued to snip away at the hair as it entered the twist of the bun. Snip after snip seemed to echo through the silent orchard. Everyone seated there had a clear view of the hair being snipped away. Slowly the bun began to part from the head as more and more sections of hair were cut. The women on either side could clearly see the bun slowly move down. Balamma felt the weight of her butt long hair move to a constantly decreasing section at her nape as the snips resounded in her ears. She felt his hand on her head, holding it down firmly. She did not resist. A fine sprinkling of hair had fallen on her neck and cape. But this was just the beginning. She felt the weight of her hair sudden ease as he picked up the bun and put the scissors to the last section. He slid the scissors onto it and started to cut through the final section. The sound of the sharp scissors slicing and snipping though her hair filled Bala's ears. There was a resounding snip as the scissors cut the heavy bun free.
Jayanti could not help but watch in helplessness as her co-sister's bun was being cut. It filled her with an impeding sense of despair. Jayanti felt her hair gathered up and tried to relax as her hair was being combed out. But it was not easy. She knew that the time for the shave was fast approaching. The barber was more than half way through snipping away at Balamma's bun. She usually enjoyed it when someone combed out her hair. But this was not the occasion.
The barber let the bun fall to the floor. Placing the scissors in his shirt pocket, he then picked up the water sprayer and started to wet Bala’s hair. Some of the mist drifted towards the women sitting close. The barber used his fingers to thoroughly massage the water into Bala's hair, enjoying the feel of the thick silky locks of hair becoming wet. It fell around her in a wet limp and rough bob. Once the hair was thoroughly wet, the barber took the comb and started to comb out the hair, parting it in the middle. Water dripped from the comb and from the ends of her hair as she was prepared for the final shave. He took up the razor and a blade and broke the blade neatly in half. One half was dropped back into the box and the other half, inserted into the razor.
This was Kamala's cue to stop combing. She'd have to finish plaiting Jayanti's hair before her husband finished shaving Balamma. She divided Jayanti’s hair into three sections and started to weave a tight plait. Preparing the beautiful hair for her husband's scissors delighted her. Jayanti sat still; there was nothing she could do now, but to submit. She sat still as Kamala expertly wove her hair into a thick plait. She knew she could cut Jayanti’s plait if she wanted, but she decided to let her husband cut it. She had an eye on another woman's (Shobha) plait that was the same length and thickness.
Vijay was quite busy with Balamma. He stood in front of her and placed his hand on her head again, bending it to position. Using his thumb he stretched her scalp at the beginning of the hair parting an inch from the crown. Bala felt the blade of the razor against her scalp as the barber expertly ran it down the hair parting. An inch wide strip of scalp was exposed. Then he moved to her right temple and started to shave straight down from the parting. Quick neat strokes laid bare more and more of her scalp as the barber worked down the sides towards her ear. Thick wet clumps of hair hung for a while before falling to the sheet covering her. Odd strands of hair stuck to her cheeks. He reached her right ear and stopped.
Kamala was taking her time with Jayanti's plait. It was coming along beautifully. She was sorely tempted to cut it, but managed to overcome the temptation. She would get her chance with the other woman anyway. She smiled to herself at that thought. She paused to comb the hair a little and continued with her appointed task. She felt a twinge that she wouldn't get to oil and massage this silky hair for quite some time, but that soon passed as well.
Vijay now moved to Balamma's left side, and shaved in a similar manner and the pile of wet hair in Bala's lap continued to grow. She was half shaved now. Then he bent her head forward. He turned her head a bit, and ensuring that the women sitting could still see what was happening. Then, starting at the crown, he shaved a clean strip down to her nape. A lock of wet hair tumbled to the floor, landing on the bun which had been scissored off barely a few minutes ago. He adjusted her head again and started shaving from the top towards her ears, pushing the hair onto the sheet. He folded her right ear to shave carefully behind it. Then he did the same to her left ear. Starting on the back he pushed her head down till her chin was on her chest. Bala obediently bent her head the way he wanted.
He started shaving down from the top, clearing away towards the nape in straight strokes. As she felt the razor move towards her nape, she realized that her shave was coming to a close. Kamala meanwhile had finished with Jayanti's plait. She secured the end with an elastic band, leaving about six inches free. She picked up the plait and ran her hands down it feeling the texture and squeezing it into shape. Jayanti saw the shave coming to a close. Her own shave was now very, very close. Balamma opened her eyes and saw the large heap of wet hair in her lap. The cape was wet in her lap because of the wet hair.
Her heart sank to see her lovely hair lying in wet clumps in her lap. The barber continued to shave away the remaining locks, running the razor down her neck to clean it up. She was shaved clean. She had a ring of wet hair on the back of her neck and wet hair clinging all over the cape. The barber removed the hair from her neck and pushed it into her lap. Then he undid the sheet and carefully took it off. Picking up the bun, he dropped it in the basket. She took a towel from one of the servant girls who had accompanied them, and wiped her head. The barber shook the cape out letting the hair fall to the floor. The stool was now ready for Jayanti.
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