Discipline shaves

Asha, a strict and cunning mother from Kerala, has always kept her twin daughters, Indu and Bindu, under a tight leash. She doesn’t tolerate any form of rebellion or disobedience, especially when it comes to her authority over their lives. Asha is someone who abhors cricket, seeing it as a distraction from more “serious” matters. She has always kept her daughters away from the sport, believing it encourages idleness and foolishness. But when she hears about the recent hair donation camp in Chennai, where many CSK fans—some reluctantly, some willingly—shave their heads after their team’s loss in the IPL finals, Asha’s frustration reaches its peak. The idea of people losing their hair for a mere game disgusts her. She sees it as a symbol of misplaced loyalty and foolish behavior. To her, it’s nothing more than a mindless trend that has overtaken the youth, and this triggers something deep inside her. She fears her daughters might fall into this craze as well, especially when she notices that Indu and Bindu, despite their previous indifference to cricket, have started showing interest in RCB after hearing about the buzz around the IPL. Fearing that they might get caught up in the same betting frenzy that’s been sweeping the nation, Asha takes drastic action. She knows that if they join the trend, they could end up losing a bet and, in her eyes, embarrassing themselves—just like those CSK fans in Chennai. Determined to nip this potential rebellion in the bud, she plans to teach them a lesson in discipline and obedience. Without consulting Indu and Bindu, she locks them inside their room and forces them to the temple in Thiruvananthapuram, where a hair donation camp is being set up. Asha, always looking for an opportunity to assert her control, decides that if her daughters’ hair is going to be donated, it will be on her terms. She insists on shaving their heads, believing that by taking away their hair, she is stripping them of their vanity and any future attachment to something as fleeting as a sport or bet. The twin sisters sat side by side on low stools, directly under the sacred archway. Their long, oiled hair—braided neatly that very morning—hung heavy down their backs, a symbol of their stolen agency. The barbers, experienced and emotionless, took position. Without a moment’s pause, the braids were tied with rubber bands and cut off in one clean motion. Gasps rippled through the small crowd gathered nearby, but Asha remained still, her eyes never blinking. May be an image of 7 people As the buzzing sound of the clippers began, Indu closed her eyes. The vibration ran across her scalp, sending chills down her spine as thick tufts of black hair rained down her shoulders. Her head slowly emerged bare, smooth, and glistening under the temple lights. There was no relief, only a strange emptiness. Bindu tried to stay composed, but as her hair began to fall, a single tear slid down her cheek. Her scalp, now exposed and shining, reflected the intensity of her quiet humiliation. When it was over, both girls sat bald under the sacred fig tree, heads shaved completely smooth, their expressions unreadable. Devotees bowed before the deity, but their eyes lingered on the twins—two girls with gleaming bald heads and shattered silence. Asha collected their cut hair herself, handed it reverently to the donation team, and walked away without a word. Asha looks on with satisfaction, certain that she has taken the right step to protect her daughters from what she sees as the foolishness of the world outside. She whispers to herself, “This will teach you both a lesson.” Meanwhile, at the hair donation camp, Apoorva and Shivani, who have now become close friends, volunteer to support the cause. They approach Indu and Bindu, recognizing the situation. They try to offer some comfort, their own bald heads a testament to their courage, though they know that Asha’s methods are harsh. Though the girls are left shaken and upset, they can’t deny the significance of what they’ve done. As they leave the camp, their heads now shaved clean, they know this moment will change them, but whether it will bring them closer to their mother or further apart remains uncertain. After the head shave at the temple camp, Indu and Bindu returned home with their mother Asha walking ahead, proud and unbothered. The girls, meanwhile, were silent, their bald scalps still stinging from the shave, and their minds clouded with humiliation and disbelief. Any mention of cricket or their shaved heads was met with icy silence or sharp glares. Neighbors who came to visit were told proudly, “My daughters are now free from foolish distractions.” Indu and Bindu weren’t even allowed to wear dupattas to cover their bald heads. “Let the world see,” Asha said firmly, “This is discipline.” The girls had no voice under her roof — only their gleaming bald heads remained as a daily reminder of their lost freedom.