A dyeing cause! - a participant in a Writing Challenge conducted by Bahrain Writers' Circle was reviewed favorably by Mr. Joey Fitzpatrick, a retired writer from the newpaper, The Herald in Halifax, Canada.
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“Nobody else is
awake”, that was the thought which crossed my mind when I was lying on the bed,
awaiting the Goddess of Sleep to bless me.
“Am I the only one awake
in the midst of darkness at this point in time?”
“Why am I bereft of the
much-needed five-letter word, ‘sleep’?”
A chain of questions
radiated out of my head coercing me to find out the corresponding answers. But, I was clueless.
Felt glad to know
that the night lamp was also awake, perhaps beseeching the Goddess’ blessings –
just like me!
The time was almost
two in the morning. I felt jealous of my
wife, as she was fast asleep. I switched
on the fluorescent lamp, with a deliberate intention to disturb her sleep. After a grumble, inaudible albeit, she turned away
from the light and resumed her slumber.
I have nothing to do
with insomnia or any medical condition that indicate sleep deprivation. What
had taken the sleep out of me was a recent comment made by a parent during a function
at my son’s school. That off-the-cuff
comment of his, which might have been a casual pleasantry for him was strong
enough to steal my sleep.
He was just coming
out of the classroom with his son after meeting the teacher. On seeing me and my son awaiting our turn, he
asked my son, “How are you? Your Dad couldn’t come?”
The question posed
by the stranger did vex me, especially when my son and I bear a striking
resemblance to each other. But I could
make out where he was coming from, as I saw him looking at my more-salt,
less-pepper hair while talking to my son.
He must’ve thought that my son was accompanied by his grandfather!
Bringing myself to
the present, I looked at the mirror.
“True, my head has become
very rich – from black metal to silver”. I was tempted, but stood confused – whether to dye
or not!
It was not going to
be an easy game at all for me to get into the habit of dyeing, as I had been a strong anti-dyeing advocate. Many a time, I had efficaciously argued on
the matter with my wife and other people who either supported or sported dyeing. For the sake of a debate, I used to give
lectures on the drastic side effects of dyeing based on true and untrue scientific
reasons and also embellishing it with made-up stories about people in faraway
countries who lost their hair and complexion due to excessive dyeing.
I sat down at the
corner of the bed, contemplating.
Then, I decided. I decided to swim against the tide – but on a
safer route. I didn’t wish to be
paraded by those who were put paid to my arguments whenever they see me with
glossy black/brown hair.
I prepared my own
answers to defend any potential questions, as to why I changed my stand and
started dyeing my hair. As I had been voicing
against applying “artificial colours”, I felt that nobody would dare blame me
for violating my argument points, if I do a henna treatment on my hair.
Having decided to
proceed, without making much noise, I
rummaged in the cupboard in our dressing room.
Thankfully, I could get hold of a packet of powdered henna, with the label
‘100% Natural Henna”.
Yes, it said
“natural”.
I read the
instructions on the pack many times to ensure that I wasn’t doing any mess-up
with my hair. I felt quite agnostic at
the list of ingredients mentioned in their biological names, but nothing
stopped me. .
“Soak the powder for
5 to 6 hours, apply the paste on your hair and then leave it on for 3 to 4
hours”.
The time was almost
three.
“Oh! If I go by the instructions word-by-word,
the process will not be completed even by lunch time the next day”, I thought.
I slipped in to the
bathroom, cut opened the packet and made the henna paste with utmost secrecy. But, I realized to my dismay that I had partially
tanned the wash basin and the floor by spilling the henna paste! I dreaded the consequences that were bound to
happen the next morning, when the now-sleeping-beauty gets up. I sprang into action to clean the bathroom
at half past three – something I had never done in all these donkey’s
years!! What a plight at night!
I waited patiently in
the bathroom, for the paste to set in. I
envisioned my potential appearance, and how everybody will be complimenting me
for the new look. After waiting restlessly for an hour, I
applied the paste using my bare hands, in the same manner as how we apply hair
oil, because I couldn’t get a pair of gloves.
Don’t ask me how my palm looked like afterwards!
But I had to pay for
my inexperience and lack of adroitness, when I realized that I had applied
henna on the bathroom floor too! I jumped
into action again – cleaning the bathroom, the second time in a span of two
hours!!
After the cumbersome
cleaning exercise, I found it prudent not to bail out to the bedroom, as I had
no fascination to do any more cleaning.
Having lost my patience, I
washed the paste off my head without adhering to the instructions on the henna
packet. With increased anxiety, I
looked at the bathroom mirror.
“Awesome! No white
strands!”
Coming out to the
bedroom quite excitedly, I looked into the mirror again after switching on all
the lights.
“Oh!
My God!”,
I literally screamed, and that awakened my wife out of her sleep with a jolt,
screaming likewise, as a reflex.
“What is this?? What have you done with your hair??”
My hair had turned completely brown as if it was
varnished. I didn’t know what to
do. So, I didn’t argue either. I knew that I will be a laughing stock in
the office if I go in this peacock design!
Feeling abashed, I
asked my wife to suggest an immediate remedy. With a
smirk on her face, she suggested that the only quick and effective choice left
was to use a black dye to cover up the brown shade.
“No way! The harmful
effects of the chemicals in the dye…..”.
But, my wife stopped my discourse by handing
over a sachet of black dye, which obviously contained artificial colours and
chemicals. Hesitantly, I applied the
dye, waited for another hour, washed it off and came out of the bathroom – just
to find my wife sleeping calmly as if nothing had happened.
I looked at the
mirror and felt good! “Yes, I am
looking much younger. Why was I against
this magic all these years?”
Feeling quite exhilarated,
I couldn’t help singing aloud. Luckily,
nobody else was awake!
