Mr.Hemanth Reddy came exactly at the scheduled time for his haircut. I gave a warm smile and invited him in .As
I was giving finishing touches to another customer I requested him to wait for 5 minutes.
Once I was done with this customer, I cleaned up the chair and Invited Mr.Reddy to take the chair.
Once he made himself comfortable in the chair I caped him and asked him how he would like to get his hair cut.
He replied "Radhika...cut it slightly shorter on sides and back. Trim it slightly on top...do not cut it short. It needs to cover my receding hairline."
I examined him through the mirror. Yes, His hairline was receding but I felt he had a wonderfully shaped head which was unfortunately hidden behind the hair. I visualized him with a shaved head and I felt it would suit him absolutely well.
But I was not sure whether he will heed to my advice of getting his head shaved. I get a lot of job satisfaction when my customer goes out from here feeling very good about his looks because of the haircut I gave...and for Mr.Reddy no hairstyle will suit him better than a smooth shaved head. I had to convince him some how for this change.
As I combed his hair I asked "Mr.Reddy...Have you ever got your head shaved?”
Mr.Reddy was a bit startled by my question..."No. never...why did you ask that?"
I replied..."I feel you have a wonderfully shaped head and you would look very good with a shaved head."
He laughed and said...”Is it? But any way I cannot get it shaved...my wife loves my hair a lot."
I said..."I am sure your wife will love your shaved head even more. And since your hair has already started receding , within no time you will be losing most of the hair."
"You are right about my receding hairline" Mr.Reddy replied...”My wife is concerned about it. So we are considering of going for hair transplant for me."
"But a hair transplant will be quite costly and time consuming." I persisted.
"I know" Mr.Reddy replied "But I see no other alternative."
I had to somehow convince him to shave his head because it is unfair to hide such a wonderfully shaped head. I had to some how....
"There is an alternative..." I said "Since it been quite recently that your hair line has started receding, I feel a regular head shave would help the lost hair grow back" I lied ...and to add more weightage to my lie I added "this is what most of my customers do when they see their hairline receding".
"Is it?" Mr.Reddy quizzed "I have never heard such thing. But even if it were true I cannot shave it even once because that would upset my wife and upsetting my wife is what I would never want to do."
"But Mr.Reddy...." He cut it short by saying "Radhika, It is not possible. My wife will be quite upset if I do that. Will you cut my hair as instructed or shall I go to someone else?"
Dejected I cut his hair as per his wish.
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"Raj,I believe this haircut suits you the most...I think you should keep it this way...what do you say Radhika?" Swathi, who had accompanied Raj for getting his head shaved by me, said giggling and laughing looking at partially shaved image of Raj.
I and Raj joined her in her laughter.
Looking at Raj and swathi enjoying Raj's head shave, my mind went back to Mr.Reddy..."If at all Mr.Reddy was as supportive as Raj...." my thoughts were interrupted by the ring of telephone.
"Excuse me" I said going towards the phone "will be back in a minute".
"Take your own time...I will get more time teasing him." Swathy replied.
As I picked up the receiver I saw swathy feeling Raj's partially shaved head and telling him something. I smiled looking at both of them laughing heartily.
"Hello Radhika...I am Kamala here...”
"Hi Kamala!" I replied.
"Radhika...Do you remember Hemanth Reddy who had got his hair cut by you three days back?"
"Of course I remember" I said "How can I forget him!!!" I thought.
"Radhika, I am Hemanth’s wife… Hemanth mentioned me that you were insisting him to get his head shaved." Kamala said.
"Yes, kamala...I insisted because I feel he will look good with a shaved head. But he said that you love his hair a lot and that he didn’t want to upset you by getting his hair shaved off."
"Yes...I do love his hair. I love brushing his hair with my fingers. But his hair line has started receding and we were planning to go for his hair transplant..."
"But Kamala...” I interrupted kamala "Hair transplant is a costly affair and it takes a lot of time."
"Yes I know...” Kamala said "But we didn’t have any other alternative or to put it another way we didn’t explore other options...options like a head shave...Now a days I see lot of men getting their heads shaved...and I should say a shaved head really looks good on most of them...Do you think that style will suit my husband."
I just said "Trust me."
"Ok then..." Kamala replied "So shall we come down to the saloon this evening?"
"Sure...is 17:30 ok" I said.
"Thanks Radhika...we will be there sharp at 5:30...Bye."
"Bye”. I kept the receiver feeling quite happy.
I went back to Raj and Swathy, Who still were having lot of fun regarding Raj's partially shaved head.
I felt so happy about the turn of events that I took all the time and care in the world to shave raj's head really smooth.Swathy could not keep her hands away from the Raj's smoothly shaved head.
I really felt wonderfully satisfied watching Raj and Swathy leave my saloon feeling very happy about Raj's new look.
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"But kamala Mr.Reddy can shave it himself or you can shave it for him" I said.
"Radhika we know that the one week long stubble on his head can be shaved at home either by himself or by me but we are insisting that you do it for us this time because we really want to thank you in person for transforming Hemanth into an extra handsome guy...you don’t know how much favour you have done to us...you have not only saved us a lot of money but also added that extra zeal in our 10 years of married life. We are feeling as if we are newly married. In fact we are going on a second Honeymoon to Munnar this evening...so before going we wanted to really thank you from the bottom of our hearts....Please don’t refuse..." Kamala Pleaded.
I felt so happy...I couldn’t refuse. So we were meeting this evening again...and most probably for the last time.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Atul and Geeta
"Would you like to have the regular haircut?" I asked Atul while I caped him.
"Actually Radhika...My wife Geeta wants me to..." he looked at his wife sheepishly...
Atul had been my client for the past four years and this is the first time that his wife has accompanied him here. Actually it’s Geeta who fixed the appointment for today. Moreover he looked quite apprehensive. He was not his normal self.
"Radhika...” Geeta told me in a very assertive voice,” I want you to shave his head".
And looking at Atul's image in the mirror she quizzed ..."don’t you think the bald look suits him?"
Now I could understand why Atul looked so apprehensive and nervous. In the past four years I have known him he had never changed his business man like hairstyle. And now he is been forced to go for a change...a change that is so drastic!!!But Geeta was right..Atul would look good with a shaved head.
"Atul...Geeta is right...a bald head will surely suit you...moreover being summer you can see lot of people out there with shaved heads and this is the right time to go bald.." I said reassuring Atul.
"But still..." Atul was about to tell something...
"No buts and ifs...You are getting your head shaved...that too smooth...as smooth as a baby's bottom.”... Geeta commanded.
Atul resigned himself to getting his head shaved. I sprayed a lot of water over his head. Then I took a straight razor and changed the blade.
I could feel Atul shiver as I carefully placed the razor right in the middle of his head and ran the razor to expose a small patch of pale scalp.Geeta stood right by his side watching and enjoying the sight of his tonsure.
Within minutes I shaved of his head fully. As I went to get a mach 3 razor and foam, Geeta smiled at Atul and gestured using her hand that Atul looked quite good.
I smeared the foam over his entire head and carefully ran the Mach 3 razor over his head clearing the foam and along with it any roughness that was left behind by the straight razor. I shaved his head slowly so as to make it as smooth as possible without causing razor burns or cutting his sensitive scalp.
Once I was satisfied with my work. I cleared the extra foam with a warm towel and then finished my work by applying a soothing aftershave lotion over his shaved head.
As I looked at him through the mirror I really appreciated Geeta's foresight .Atul looked quite good without the hair on his head...but....
"Radhika..." my thoughts were interrupted by Geeta..."...Atul looks very smart with a shaved head but I feel he will look stunningly smart and younger without the moustache. What is your opinion?"
"You read my mind Geeta...that's exactly was going through my mind." I said.
Both of us looked at Atul and he resignedly nodded his head to go ahead.
"Actually Radhika...My wife Geeta wants me to..." he looked at his wife sheepishly...
Atul had been my client for the past four years and this is the first time that his wife has accompanied him here. Actually it’s Geeta who fixed the appointment for today. Moreover he looked quite apprehensive. He was not his normal self.
"Radhika...” Geeta told me in a very assertive voice,” I want you to shave his head".
And looking at Atul's image in the mirror she quizzed ..."don’t you think the bald look suits him?"
Now I could understand why Atul looked so apprehensive and nervous. In the past four years I have known him he had never changed his business man like hairstyle. And now he is been forced to go for a change...a change that is so drastic!!!But Geeta was right..Atul would look good with a shaved head.
"Atul...Geeta is right...a bald head will surely suit you...moreover being summer you can see lot of people out there with shaved heads and this is the right time to go bald.." I said reassuring Atul.
"But still..." Atul was about to tell something...
"No buts and ifs...You are getting your head shaved...that too smooth...as smooth as a baby's bottom.”... Geeta commanded.
Atul resigned himself to getting his head shaved. I sprayed a lot of water over his head. Then I took a straight razor and changed the blade.
I could feel Atul shiver as I carefully placed the razor right in the middle of his head and ran the razor to expose a small patch of pale scalp.Geeta stood right by his side watching and enjoying the sight of his tonsure.
Within minutes I shaved of his head fully. As I went to get a mach 3 razor and foam, Geeta smiled at Atul and gestured using her hand that Atul looked quite good.
I smeared the foam over his entire head and carefully ran the Mach 3 razor over his head clearing the foam and along with it any roughness that was left behind by the straight razor. I shaved his head slowly so as to make it as smooth as possible without causing razor burns or cutting his sensitive scalp.
Once I was satisfied with my work. I cleared the extra foam with a warm towel and then finished my work by applying a soothing aftershave lotion over his shaved head.
As I looked at him through the mirror I really appreciated Geeta's foresight .Atul looked quite good without the hair on his head...but....
"Radhika..." my thoughts were interrupted by Geeta..."...Atul looks very smart with a shaved head but I feel he will look stunningly smart and younger without the moustache. What is your opinion?"
"You read my mind Geeta...that's exactly was going through my mind." I said.
Both of us looked at Atul and he resignedly nodded his head to go ahead.
Ramesh fulfills his desire
It was getting 6 PM, My official closing time, when I heard a knock on the door.
Standing in the door was my neighbor Ramesh.Though I had never talked to him since I had shifted to this new house last month but I always wanted to talk to him because I felt his collar length hair always pleaded me to free them from his head.
I said.”Hello Ramesh, Welcome!!!! How can I help you?”
“Maam” He said “Removing the cap from his head “I am planning to get this mop of hair cleaned off.”
“You mean you want to get your head shaved clean?” I asked just to confirm.
“Yes, Maam” he said.
I couldn’t believe my luck. Though it was time to close my saloon I thought I shouldn’t miss this opportunity.
“Ok Ramesh” I said “please be seated. You know that this is my saloon’s official closing hour. Since you are my neighbor I will accept your request and shave your head now. But before that let me close the door so that no other customer comes in. I don’t like sending back any customers.”
As I was closing the door from inside Ramesh again said “Maam…”
“Ramesh please call me Radhika” I said.
“OK Radhika..I had one more request…I…I don’t know how to say…”
“Go ahead Ramesh …” I prodded.
“Radhika…It’s been my long lasting desire to get my head shaved from an woman that too in a style that is prevalent in temples like Tirumala and Dharmasthala…”
“You mean…you don’t want me to use a clipper and a Mach 3 razor to shave your head, but instead shave it using a straight razor…Am I right?” I enquired, brewing coffee for both of us.
“Not just that Radhika…” Ramesh said, “I don’t want to get my head shaved sitting in the barber chair. But sit on the ground opposite you and get my head shaved…Have you ever seen tonsuring halls in Tirumala or Dharmasthala?
Now I got what he wanted…I had seen Tirumala’s Kalyanakatta.I had loved the way the barbers shaved the devotee’s heads. It was one of my dreams to give a head shave like that.
“Got It..” I said handing over the coffee to Ramesh…He has a very wild and exciting desire…this would be a new experience for me too…” I thought. I had never shaved anybody like that since I started my career as a hairstylist few years back.
After we finished drinking coffee, I spread few newspapers on the ground and Asked Ramesh to sit on it cross-legged. After I got my straight razor, a blade , a bowl full of water and a clothe to cape I too sat down cross-legged opposite Ramesh.
As I was about to cape him I realized that I never saw a customer being caped at the tonsure halls of temples. Instead most of the male customers got their heads shaved with their shirts taken off!!!
“Take your shirt off please,” I commanded smiling and Ramesh took his shirt off dutifully.
I asked him to bend his head forward towards me. Once he did that I took a handful of water and sprinkled over his head. I took my time drenching his hair with enough water. Then I massaged his head with my fingers so as to soften the hair. I enjoyed running my hands through his long hair…
After I changed the blade in the razor, I bent his head still further with my left hand and placed the razor right in the middle of his head. Then slowly and steady I moved the razor toward his forehead, exposing a pale patch of scalp over his head. I felt thrilled as his long shaved hair fell lifelessly over my legs. Within few minute I shaved his head completely on the top. Then I tilted his head toward right and shaved the hair on the left side of his head. Similarly I shaved the right portion of his head by tilting his head to the left. Then I asked him to bend his head still further. He bent his head as much as possible but since I was not able to see the back of his head fully, I forcibly bent his head further down using my left hand. Now his head was bent so much that it was just one or two inches away from my feet. Now I placed the razor on the back of his head and moving it towards the neck. I shaved his back too quickly. Once I shaved his head completely, I felt his freshly shaved head for any rough spots and ran the razor again over those rough spots to give a smooth shave. Once I was satisfied with my work, I dipped my fingers in water and the smeared his chin, cheeks and upper lip with water and then quickly ran the razor over his face and upper lip. I finished my work by quickly rubbing a wet alum block over his shaved head and face. I then picked up all the hair that had fallen over his shoulders and legs with my hands and dusted him free of all the hair with a brush. As he examined himself in the mirror, I quickly cleaned up the floor.
He thanked me profusely as he wore his shirt. Looking at him I knew he had fully enjoyed getting his head shaved as much as I enjoyed shaving his head. I too thanked him for giving me an opportunity to shave his long hair that too in such a traditional way.
Putting on his cap he asked me the charges for my work.
“Ramesh… I don’t need any cash as fees for my work, But yes I want you to promise me that you will not cover your stunningly attractive shaved head with this stupid cap…” I snatched the cap from him and threw it on the ground.
Standing in the door was my neighbor Ramesh.Though I had never talked to him since I had shifted to this new house last month but I always wanted to talk to him because I felt his collar length hair always pleaded me to free them from his head.
I said.”Hello Ramesh, Welcome!!!! How can I help you?”
“Maam” He said “Removing the cap from his head “I am planning to get this mop of hair cleaned off.”
“You mean you want to get your head shaved clean?” I asked just to confirm.
“Yes, Maam” he said.
I couldn’t believe my luck. Though it was time to close my saloon I thought I shouldn’t miss this opportunity.
“Ok Ramesh” I said “please be seated. You know that this is my saloon’s official closing hour. Since you are my neighbor I will accept your request and shave your head now. But before that let me close the door so that no other customer comes in. I don’t like sending back any customers.”
As I was closing the door from inside Ramesh again said “Maam…”
“Ramesh please call me Radhika” I said.
“OK Radhika..I had one more request…I…I don’t know how to say…”
“Go ahead Ramesh …” I prodded.
“Radhika…It’s been my long lasting desire to get my head shaved from an woman that too in a style that is prevalent in temples like Tirumala and Dharmasthala…”
“You mean…you don’t want me to use a clipper and a Mach 3 razor to shave your head, but instead shave it using a straight razor…Am I right?” I enquired, brewing coffee for both of us.
“Not just that Radhika…” Ramesh said, “I don’t want to get my head shaved sitting in the barber chair. But sit on the ground opposite you and get my head shaved…Have you ever seen tonsuring halls in Tirumala or Dharmasthala?
Now I got what he wanted…I had seen Tirumala’s Kalyanakatta.I had loved the way the barbers shaved the devotee’s heads. It was one of my dreams to give a head shave like that.
“Got It..” I said handing over the coffee to Ramesh…He has a very wild and exciting desire…this would be a new experience for me too…” I thought. I had never shaved anybody like that since I started my career as a hairstylist few years back.
After we finished drinking coffee, I spread few newspapers on the ground and Asked Ramesh to sit on it cross-legged. After I got my straight razor, a blade , a bowl full of water and a clothe to cape I too sat down cross-legged opposite Ramesh.
As I was about to cape him I realized that I never saw a customer being caped at the tonsure halls of temples. Instead most of the male customers got their heads shaved with their shirts taken off!!!
“Take your shirt off please,” I commanded smiling and Ramesh took his shirt off dutifully.
I asked him to bend his head forward towards me. Once he did that I took a handful of water and sprinkled over his head. I took my time drenching his hair with enough water. Then I massaged his head with my fingers so as to soften the hair. I enjoyed running my hands through his long hair…
After I changed the blade in the razor, I bent his head still further with my left hand and placed the razor right in the middle of his head. Then slowly and steady I moved the razor toward his forehead, exposing a pale patch of scalp over his head. I felt thrilled as his long shaved hair fell lifelessly over my legs. Within few minute I shaved his head completely on the top. Then I tilted his head toward right and shaved the hair on the left side of his head. Similarly I shaved the right portion of his head by tilting his head to the left. Then I asked him to bend his head still further. He bent his head as much as possible but since I was not able to see the back of his head fully, I forcibly bent his head further down using my left hand. Now his head was bent so much that it was just one or two inches away from my feet. Now I placed the razor on the back of his head and moving it towards the neck. I shaved his back too quickly. Once I shaved his head completely, I felt his freshly shaved head for any rough spots and ran the razor again over those rough spots to give a smooth shave. Once I was satisfied with my work, I dipped my fingers in water and the smeared his chin, cheeks and upper lip with water and then quickly ran the razor over his face and upper lip. I finished my work by quickly rubbing a wet alum block over his shaved head and face. I then picked up all the hair that had fallen over his shoulders and legs with my hands and dusted him free of all the hair with a brush. As he examined himself in the mirror, I quickly cleaned up the floor.
He thanked me profusely as he wore his shirt. Looking at him I knew he had fully enjoyed getting his head shaved as much as I enjoyed shaving his head. I too thanked him for giving me an opportunity to shave his long hair that too in such a traditional way.
Putting on his cap he asked me the charges for my work.
“Ramesh… I don’t need any cash as fees for my work, But yes I want you to promise me that you will not cover your stunningly attractive shaved head with this stupid cap…” I snatched the cap from him and threw it on the ground.
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