Three years passed and Kiran along with Pardeep were serving well in the Defence forces; and were in and out of various courses. In between these running around they had been visiting Delhi and dropping in to see us at various times. Soon Alka announced that Kiran was expecting her second issue and would be coming over to spend some time with us at Delhi and the child birth would take place here as Pardeep had been posted out to the North East for a short term posting from Gwalior. We met Kiran at the railway station and were surprised to see her so trim even though she was in an advanced stage of pregnancy but Arman was in a shabby hairstyle and had hair long enough to be put into a initial pony! After coming home I made a direct enquiry if Kiran was growing out Arman’s hair. Kiran burst out– ‘No Way!’ It was Arman who had been showing tantrums and was wailing when he was taken to a haircut. So she had left him to himself and wished that the patent barber ‘uncle’ would work magic with him, hopefully.
A week after she had been with us, we managed to coax barber ‘uncle’ to come over to our house. He was well advanced in age and usually did not take home visits now and only helped out his son at the shop when, there was a rush. But he could not say no to his old and ‘most valued customer’ - Kiran.
Barber ‘Uncle’ came on a Wednesday morning as desired. He set up a chair as per his requirement and wanted to put a mirror but Kiran was against it, as she only wanted to see the final result. And she was satisfied with ‘Uncle’s’ prowess. Arman was surprised as to why was an old man who had come over being given so much importance. Kiran soon got ready and sat on the chair and the barber spread a white cloth over her shoulders. Arman soon understood and tried to hide but we paid no attention to him. The barber asked Kiran how did she want her hair to be shaped. She laughed and told him – Uncle just as you do it – short and short and very short. He did not say anything but picked up his hand clippers and bent her head forward so that her chin rested on her breast. Soon he started clippering the area nape upwards and clumps of hair fell off her neck onto the cloth and onto the floor. Arman soon appeared in the doorway and watch slyly as to how things were done to his mother. The barber then went around her ears and clipped all the hair to what is called ‘high and tight’. He then used his skills with the scissors and shortened the top so that it matched the sides (practically no hair) and had a small side parting made. Kiran was shaping up like a newly recruited CRPF jawan!
The last phase of cleaning up with a straight razor was the best of the lot. He lathered the nape and around the ears and then with his dextrous hands shaved the areas so that the clean and trim neck and ears showed up. The small tops, which Kiran had taken to sport in her ears, were highlighted and the forehead, which had been covered due to the grown mop of hair, shone out white and different. He then cut the top hair to a little less than one quarter of an inch. When he was done he cleaned the back and the top with a brush and with his cushion he powdered the neck area and then held up a mirror to show the change. Kiran was overjoyed and when she ran her hands over her head she was beyond expression of happiness. It was sheer pleasure. Now it was a clear three months of no hair hassles and she could go for to the maternity ward easily. The nurses and the doctor would have a new experience. And she could devote all her time to the new born. All this while Arman was silently watching. The Barber ‘ Uncle’ the asked if Baba also needs a haircut. We said that he surely could do with one but were not sure if he would take it easily. He was having difficulties of late and that was the reason why his hair had grown and was a bit unruly to take care of. ‘Uncle’ called out to him and very lovingly with out having to be coaxed Arman came to ‘Uncle’ barber. He talked into his ears and then placed him on the chair his mother had just vacated. He cooed him and then showed him the barbering tools and also allowed him to touch and feel the tools. Soon Arman was caped in the white sheet and was safely and quietly into the barber chair. We were surprised and Kiran was all the more so as she was used to see him cry out by now! Soon ‘uncle’ was at work and first he lessened the mop on top after wetting the hair with a water sprayer. Clumps of hair fell into Arman’s lap and he seemed pleased. He actually wanted to pick up one to play and we were surprised when ‘uncle’ stopped his cutting process and gave a lock of hair to play with. He soon resumed his job. Arman was so pliable in ‘uncle’s’ hands that we saw the transformation and complimented his customer skills. He then bent his head forward so that the chin touched the chest and clipped the neck hairs short so that the nape was nearly clean. He got the layers even and the clean head of Arman began to emerge. The barber then used his scissors over comb technique to even out the hair on the top of the head and shortened it so as to be conveniently managed. He even made a side parting and used the hand clippers to clean up the sides over the ears and around the back. Probably the tickling feel of the clippers on the nape made Arman smile – but we knew he was enjoying his experience. ‘Uncle’ brought out his lathering tube and pushed out a small amount onto his hand. He lathered the nape and areas around the ears. The straight razor came out and after stropping it he very cleanly and with great care cleaned up the nape up to the hairline and beyond. He folded the tiny ears very deftly, cleaned areas behind the ears and even some area along the temple line of the head. He shaped the side burns and evened out the cheek areas. Arman was as patient as ever. Then ‘uncle’ again took the hand clippers and starting from the forehead moved backwards so that clumps of hair fell onto his lap. In the process, the top hair went shorted and especially around the sides the white shin was showing through the short buzz. Finally, he snipped off straggly ends from here and there and a clean, transformed and cuddly Arman was presented before us. When the cape sheet was removed we had a whole lot of hair on the floor and Arman was so surprised when we told him he had so much of hair on his head. He went over his head with his hands and we could sense that he was appreciating the change. His constant fingering the nape brought within us the sense of feeling that he liked the change. His hair was combed in a small side parting with short buzzed around the ears and very short over the top. Kiran just picked up Arman so as to kiss him all over and see her handsome child again. Arman was also pleased to be rewarded in such a fashion. And then he got a dollop of ice cream for his haircut. ‘Uncle’ was complimented on a job well done and tipped favorably. He promised to be back after a month for the next cut. He promised that after that Arman would never miss a haircut in his life!
Kiran then shared that, Pardeep being away on a course, they had not being taking Arman to the barber of late and it was the orderly who accompanied him and probably that is why Arman had developed an aversion to the process. But she was pleased that ‘uncle’ had brought Arman to his best ways. Moreover, she was happy that now it would be convenient to manage Arman as she would soon be busy with the new child.
Her pregnancy was nearing term and so she called over ‘uncle’ after a fortnight for a cleanup. He got Kiran onto the chair, which she sat with great difficulty as she had a grown tummy. He cleaned up her nape with lather and razor. In addition, he also tipped her off by cutting the top shorter and she was so happy with the cooler air running all over her head ad the feeling was soothing. She was all prepared for her labor room exercise with out having to tear into her hair. ‘Uncle’ was surprised to see the volume of hair on the floor just after 15 days and Kiran had also noticed this now. She did not notice earlier that her hair grew so fast. Arman came running on seeing ‘uncle’ and he was given a complimentary haircut by ‘uncle’. He also liked the clean up and the ease with which he could run water on his head and his friends did not get any hand hold on his head when they got into their petty quarrels while playing. He was happier to see his mama sport a similar short style.
Come the day of delivery and Kiran was wheeled into the labor room and we overheard the nurses comment that they had not seen a buzzed hair lady come in for delivery in their long years of service. Kiran soon delivered a baby girl and we named her Mannat – a boon.
When Kiran was brought into her room and Arman was introduced to his sister, Kiran commented on the very dense dark mop of hair that Mannat had just then. She then ran her hand over her head as if her style before the delivery really helped her out.
She was discharged from the hospital after two days and then it was baby cries all around the house. Arman was happy to go about as he felt happy and no concerns about his hair being combed and stuff. Before we knew, three months had passed since Kiran had joined us. Pardeep had come back from his course and would join Kiran nad his now grown family to take them back to Gwalior.
Just before Pardeep was to come, ‘uncle’ was called again and Kiran got just a trim as she was to repot to duty and it was not appreciable to have strange hairstyle now that she had been promoted to the rank of a Major and Pardeep to Colonel. Actually she had been growing her hair during the last two months and it to trim it to elegance that ‘uncle’ was called in. Arman was however, sheared in the old fashion and it was proper too as now Kiran would be on her own to look after two kids. But the icing on the cake was that Kiran got Mannat onto her lap and asked ‘Uncle’ to shave off her head while she head the head steady. He with very caring hands did the needful, Pardeep filmed it for viewing later and I was overjoyed that another from the coming generation had been ‘initiated’.
The hair on the floor from Mannat’s head was voluminous and we were worried how would she manage it when she grew up but Kiran had decided that it would not grow and for the school days at least both kids would have short hairstyle. Good for them!
The promised Tirupati trip would come later, which had somehow become an established custom in both the families now.
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