Saturday, January 12, 2013

The story of a newly bald guy...

S: I had always wanted to shave my head once. Just like that. Without any reason.
Me: Oh great! I've also thought the same.
S: Then let's shave our head together. How about this sunday?
Me: Why wait for sunday?

This is how my story started. Almost instantly, we were at the barber shop. We were both very nervous as it was our first time. We absolutely had no clue how it is done, and what the end results would be. What made the matter worse was this...
S: Are you sure there won't be cuts and bleeding? Please do it carefully, it's our first time.
Barber (unamused): You talk a lot.
To be honest, this really made us both scared. But we were now glued to the seats. Walking back wasn't a option. We both looked at each other, smiled bleakly, and just wished for everything to go well.

It was now the time for the barber's tools to act and do their magic. Slowly and slowly, I could feel the razor shave through my head. I could feel the cool breeze making it's presence felt on my newly exposed skin. All through this while I was going through a series of thoughts. To be honest, it wasn't really easy for me to lift my eyes up into the mirror and glance at the undone work. It was going through a moment of mixed emotions. I had a great feeling that at last it's finally happening. But at the same time you had to build up that courage to look into that mirror. Trust me, it wasn't easy. But when it was done, Is that really me?  - was all I thought. I couldn't help but started smiling seeing myself into the mirror. My both end of the lips were as far as possible. It was finally done, and I loved the feeling. I had 2-3 small cuts, but all those burning sensations were diluted by the happiness of this achievement.





Seeing each other in almost the same hairstyle, we both couldn't help but laugh at each other. We finally got what we had wished for. It was time to walk back.
I could see three of my batch-mates coming towards us. We both couldn't help but continuously looked at them and were laughing, making the ends of our lips poles apart. I could make out from their expression, Why are these two stranger bald guys staring us and laughing? It was when they were almost at a feet's distance, they realized what had happened. I still can't forget their jaw-dropping expression. All three of them, mouth open with shock, words refusing to come out. 
Continuing our endless walk from the college gate to the hostel, we faced 3 other group of friends, all having the same jaw-dropping expression and with no words to say.

All through the way to my room we gathered that un-wanted attention. To be really honest, I didn't liked it. That wasn't something I had expected before getting this thing done. Everywhere you go, you'll have people asking you as to why have you done this? I mean, I just shaved my head, people shave their stubble everyday, I just shaved a bit more, what's the big deal? I was sick of that after a point of time.

But this felt really good. When you've done something like this you feel light. Getting rid of that extra weight at the top of your head, really makes you feel light, allowing new thoughts to pour in. The cool breeze that would touch your newly exposed skin, is something really different, something that you'll love, in a strange way. Last time I shaved my head was back when I was an infant. It felt really strange touching your own head with your hand. Trust me. You'll know what I mean if you go through/have gone through this. I don't know how to explain this, but it was different, and difficult to do. The newly exposed wasn't used to this touching.

But apart from all this, your life does really change in small-small ways. First thing you do after shaving your head, is you take a shower. And then the first time water is poured onto your bald head, you'll have a strange feeling, you won't understand what's happening but it would feel something is different. And then you'll realize that now water isn't trapped in your hair, cause you have no hair anymore. All that you pour on your head, comes directly down. This might sound stupid to those with hair, but this is something you'll notice for sure. 
And then, while drying up your head with your towel - you just won't be able to do that. Cause with that stubble you'll have enormous amount of friction on your head that even rubbing you towel to the back would seem impossible. And same is while wearing your t-shirt. You t-shirt would just be stuck with your head. These are all the fun experiences.

But all of this made me realize one thing. Shaved heads are often associated with chemotherapy - a treatment for cancer which results into hair loss as one of its side effects. A person suffering from cancer is already suffering through a lot. And then after the treatment, with the shaven head, there is this hurdle of walking into the society with that shaved head. I got to share this part,although this isn't even an iota what they actually go through. You'll have people treating you differently, teasing you - verbally as well as physically, just because you don't look like what most people looks like. Just because you don't have hair on your head.
I don't understand why is there such a taboo for shaved heads? Why is shaving head considered as something bad? Something different?
I have no answer for this. 
But I've got my lesson, though I didn't took it in the wrong sense, but it might sound bad to many. So, I guess one should take that into consideration and Ban the Bald jokes

On the whole, this was a fun experience to be honest. And I guess once in a while everyone should try something like this - something different, something unique. Trust me, you won't regret it. You'll have an hell of an experience!

6 comments:

  1. Ah! I did not need to shave my head at all :)

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  2. I could never in my wildest dreams be able to muster 1/10th the courage it requires for a girl to go bald. :P

    But yeah, that feeling that you get when water runs on your hairless smooth head is the same as we women get after getting our arms waxed. Its like water's skidding off some jellylike numb surface. XD

    Anyway, new on your blog. Hope you can find some time to visit my blog. Maybe we could follow each other? :)
    theseasonedwoman.blogspot.in

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    Replies
    1. Haha.. that's a really good analogy you gave there. But the thing is we are not that used to it. :P
      Glad you came. :D
      Thank you! :)

      Delete
  3. Hey Ritvik,

    Loved your post... I thoroughly enjoyed the whole writeup... But I personally never suggest anyone to get Bald for no reason... I remember once my brother did that, and when I saw that, I almost fainted, it reminded me of the day, my grandfather died and everyone was balded...

    Apart from personal experience, you have written it in a beautiful and captivating way...

    I had nominated you for the popular "Liebster Award".
    http://youthtalk14.blogspot.in/2013/02/a-real-pleasant-surprise.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey!
      You should try out new things once in a while, I guess. :)
      But surely not if that brings up bad memories.

      Thank you so much! :)
      Can't tell you how happy I am. Thank you!! :D

      Delete

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