Accidental barber 2

Four years passed. I always had an eye on Padmaja’s hair, especially after her last remark. It grew back long and thick, and by the time the next offering was due, it was probably a few inches longer than the last time. Over the last year she caught me casting appraising looks at her bun. She started to braid her hair more often knowing I enjoyed watching it. She also let me braid her hair on a few occasions and I loved it every time. I would spend a leisurely half an hour combing and braiding her hair. I’d occasionally put my fingers over her braid like a pair of scissors and pretend to cut it. She gave me a look of exasperation whenever I did that. The last time though she laughed. “I think you can in a month.” My heart skipped a beat. It seemed to coincide with another annual audit that her husband had to oversee. Well, on the whole, it was my gain, so I didn’t give it much thought. I reflexively tightened my grip on her braid, pulling it a little. “Ow, watch it. I thought you were supposed to be a gentle barber.” “When do you need to get it done?” “I’ll let you know once I speak to my mother-in-law. It’ll be a Thursday again, should be done in the morning like last time. Does the time work for you?” “Of course. I’ll take the day off if I have to.” In the intervening four years I had passed out of college and was currently working part time. I was due for a shift change at work, so I knew it wouldn’t be a problem to keep the morning free. I finished her braid and tied it off. “Longer than the last time…” “Yeah, when the right hands cut your hair, it grows back longer than before.” She teased me with a wink. She knew I’d be counting the days till the day she would give me a pair of scissors along with a comb. I wrapped her braid around my hand and bending her head as if for a cut, pulled firmly. Time seemed to crawl. I got my shifts changed the next day. Moving to the second shift gave me the opportunity to do brush and braid hair every day. I had a surprise of my own for her. In the interim four years, I had acquired a straight razor and had slowly learned how to use it. This would be a different experience for both of us. I was hoped I’d be able to do it without nicking her. I lay awake most nights thinking of her sitting at my feet and me shaving her. Something unexpected happened: Her sister-in-law and niece showed up for a rather long visit. That quickly put a stop to my morning brushing session with Padmaja, but well, shit happens. I still wondered how I was going to get to shave her with her relatives in the house. I figured that she had a plan for it. About a week or so into their visit, I went over one morning for a book swap. While I was looking through, she came over. “Are you free this Thursday morning?” “Yeah” “Okay, come over then.” I figured she meant for her shave, so I just nodded. Quickly booking it back home, I went into my room and tried to gather my thoughts. I couldn’t help reliving her previous shaveand planning the next one in even more detail. I wondered what plans she had for her relatives. She might not mind getting shaved in front of them. But I didn’t care much at this point. If they were going to watch, I wouldn’t grudge them that. I hoped they would enjoy the show. Thursday morning rolled around. After my mom left, I grabbed my straight razor and swapped out the blade in it for a fresh half. I grabbed a spare blade and slipped the lot into my pocket. In five minutes time, I was knocking on Padmaja’s door. The door opened and it was her niece. “Who is it?” I heard Padmaja from inside the house. “Vicky from next door. Come in please.” She invited me in. As I walked into the living room I saw Padmaja combing out her sister-in-law’s hair, who was sitting on a stool. “Give me five minutes…” “Can I get you anything?” her niece asked me. “Just water please.” She went to get a bottle from the fridge. She looked about nineteen years old. Wearing a light green salwar and skinny jeans, with her hair thrown up in a casual messy bun. Held in place by a single elastic band. Sipping the water, I watched Padmaja braid her sister-in-law’s hair, wondering what was up. “Rekha, will you please go get that green pouch from the bathroom? And your uncle’s trimmer?” I was tempted to tell her to leave the trimmer alone, but I decided to let it slide. Rekha came back in a few moments with the pouch and put it on the kitchen table. “Vicky, this is Radhika, my sister in law…” “Hi… nice to meet you.” Just a smile in response. “I hope you don’t mind shaving her too?” My heart leaped. Two of them in one day? Who would refuse? “Well…” “Come on, don’t be an ass. It wont take you too long anyway.” “Okay.” She nodded and continued braiding. She finished up in a few moments and tied off the end with an elastic band. “Well, all yours.” She opened the pouch that Rekha had brought in and began to remove the contents. Safety razor, blades, shaving brush, cream and scissors. Radhika got up from the stool and sat on the floor facing it. Taking my place on the stool, I picked up Radhika’s braid and bent her head forward and down. I guess she was used to the shaves as she bent her head obediently. I reached for the scissors and Rekha handed them to me. With a firm pull on her braid, I started cutting it off, slowly. “Thanks for helping out” “That’s okay. No problem.” “Her husband is travelling overseas. So I asked her to come down here. Sorry I sort of sprung this on you the last minute.” I continued to cut away at my ‘client’s’ braid as she kept her head down. About a minute later her braid came free. It wasn’t as thick as Padmaja’s but I wasn’t complaining. I placed the braid on the table. Padmaja gave me a comb and made Radhika turn around. I scooted a little close to her, and tipped her head forward. I went to work with the scissors: pushing up chunks of hair and cropping it short. She kept her head down and held still as hair rained into her lap and all over her shoulders. My excitement was mounting with every snip of the blades. I just wanted to look at Padmaja’s face when I pulled out the straight razor. “Auntie, shall I do your hair?” “No dear, he’ll be done with your mom pretty soon… Get some water though, he’ll need it.” “Make it warm water, Rekha,” I added. She went to the bathroom and came back with a mug of water. By the time she got bad, I had reduced Radhika’s hair as short as I could. I tested the water with a fingertip and it was fairly warm. Padmaja handed me the trimmer but I declined, instead starting to wet Radhika’s fuzzy head. Once I got her head wet I had her turn around to face me. Then, I pulled out the razor from my pocket. I saw Padmaja’s eyes widen as I tipped her sister-in-law’s head forward. Stretching her scalp, I made a clean stroke down from the crown of her head to her forehead, clearing an inch wide strip. Carefully, I started working to the left turning her head and shaving away the stubble. Small bits of wet hair rained on the hair already piled on her lap. She turned her head to assist me as I continue to scrape her head clean, slowly and carefully. I finish the top, pull her head down all the way and start on her back, scraping away the hair neatly. I slowly work my way down to her shoulders, cleaning up the last of the stubble. Wiping the blade clean I checked her over and cleaned up some stubble around and behind her ears that I missed. “Done?” “Yep.” “Okay, then I’ll go take a bath Padma.” She got up shaking out the hair from her saree. After getting most of it out, she went out of the room. Padmaja was now on the stool. “Good job with the razor. But please be careful…” I placed a hand on her head and her chin went down obediently. A firm pull loosened her bun, and she handed me the comb. Gathering her hair, I took the offered comb and started to comb her hair out slowly. Rekha came over to watch. “Rekha, are you going to offer your hair as well?” “No auntie, not me… but… may I braid your hair?” “Well, ask the barber… my hair belongs to him.” Rekha looked at me, unsure as to what to ask. I pretended to ignore her, still combing her aunt’s hair, held firmly at the base of the neck. I ran the comb a few more times through her hand and then held out the comb to her. Happily, took the comb and her aunt’s hair. She continued to comb her hair and then started to braid it, neat and tight. It was fun watching her work. There was a bit of a strange expression on her face. I realized that she loved doing her aunt’s hair and she wouldn’t be able to do it anytime soon. Her eyes wandered over to the table where her mom’s cut braid was lying. She took a deep breath and continued. Pretty soon she finished it and tied off the end. She pulled it gently and pressed it into shape. Padmaja got up and sat on the floor, in the middle of the hair that had fallen off her sister-in-law’s head. I reached behind her for her braid. She winked and bent her head. Rekha handed me the scissors and was watching closely as I pulled her aunt’s head closer and down. I adjusted my grip and put the scissors to it. I looked at Rekha. She was looking at me as I started to cut the braid, slowly. Long leisurely bites from the scissors as I cut through her braid. Rekha picked up the end of the braid as I continued to cut. I handed the cut braid to her. I could see mixed emotions on her face as she held it in her hands for a few moments. She stroked it a few times before laying it beside her mom’s braid. Padmaja turned to sit with her back to me, scooting backwards. She had already bent her head while I got the comb. Adjusting her position, I started to crop her hair. For the second time that afternoon, it started to rain hair. Rekha stood close watching the shearing as hair fell all over her aunt’s lap, shoulders, and floor. The door opened and Radhika came out. “Rekha, why don’t you get shaved as well?” “Seriously mom? No!” I could barely suppress a laugh I continued to crop Padmaja. Slowly the mop shrunk and fell into her lap as I worked away. After I cut the last of her hair, I rubbed my hand over the stubble. Rekha picked up the mug and held it out to me as I started to wet her aunt’s head. Once I was done, she turned to face me, ready to meet the razor. I swapped out the blade with a half of the new one. I tipped her head forward again. “Careful…” Then I started to shave her. I followed the same pattern. Cleared a patch from the crown to the forehead and then followed it up working down her left side, back and finally the right side. Small pieces of wet hair fell on the hair lying in her lap as I shaved off the stubble. I was slow and careful now that I had an audience watching me as well. She was every bit as obedient as she was the first time I had shaved her. I could only hope that she wasn’t crying this time as well. I worked carefully cleaning her up and then checking her for missed spots. After cleaning her up she got up with a smile and a wink, shaking the hair out of her saree. Then she walked over to the table and picked up both braids examining them. “Thanks for everything.” I was feeling elated. This day had turned out much better than I had hoped to be. Bidding farewell, I left the women to their baldness and went home. After an hour, I realized I’d left the razor behind…