Sunday ….
She insisted that we accompany her on her 1st day to the dance class. It was a drive to the other end of the town. We agreed and dropped her with her teacher; she was going to stay there for 90 minutes. The man decided to go for a hair cut on the ground floor in the same complex and suggested I spend time in the ladies saloon next to his.
Left with no option I walked into the parlor. From the other side of the reception 2 girls welcomed me as if I am their long last friend. They had heavily done eyes, dark red lips and maybe they applied 10 layers of various creams, if I scrape the skin with a spoon I may get a bowl full of various potions.
Then started the mind game.
Mam what service are you looking for ?
I said anything which will consume 1 hour
She: go for a hair spa, pedicure or manicure
I: No I can oil, steam and wash my hair at home, scrub my feet, clean and cut my nails too.
They: looked at each other, ok mam then go for a facial.
I: fine, what all do you offer in non chemical, non steroid section.
They: again looked at each other and offered gold, diamond facial the most expensive on their menu card... rs.5000/-
I: no, something within rs.1000
They: sarcastically, mam we start at rs.2000/-
left with no option, I accepted the rs. 2000 facial with a heavy heart.
They: But your skin looks tanned, please go for an anti tan pack or bleach before you start your facial, it is just rs.500 extra for the pack, but the results are going to be miraculous.
I: but this is my natural color, not tan. I drive from home to work, and sit in a sealed room for 12 hours, and drive home after sun set. doctors are suggesting that I expose my skin to sunlight as there is vitamin D deficiency, I am also on cholcalciferol for the same.
They understood that I wasn’t an easy prey.
The massage girl escorted me to a chamber, gave me change, I was reluctant to wear a gown which was on 100 other woman before, I wasn’t sure if they wash them.
She started the process with massaging the cleanser into my skin
She: after wiping the cleanser “mam your skin has lot of dirt, look at this cloth
I: no issues go ahead
She: mam shall I apply the anti tan pack or bleach, to clean the dirt
I: no ……no means “NO” in Bachhan style
She: mam do you apply night cream
I: yes, boroline sometimes.
She: as you are above 40 you should use anti wrinkle and anti ageing cream for night
I : (imagining the son mocking me to death if I make attempts to hide my age by using creams even while sleeping, they wouldnt understand that it is for therapeutic purpose ) I shared with her that I use kajole's Olay during day time to avoid/hide fine lines and wrinkles.
She: no mam, you need special creams for your age, I will give you the best of the products that are suitable exclusively to your skin. By applying them you can just arrest ageing for a long time you are going to look younger than this..
I: I was tempted and asked for the price
She: around rs.3000 for a pack of day and night cream
I did calculations mentally ; I can feed entire family the best quality walnuts and almonds for a month with the same amount, I refused her offer.
I could sense her disappointment as the effort she was putting into massaging the cream onto my face was diminishing. I dint bother; I rushed out of that cabin as fast as I could.
Borrowed rs 2000 from the man who was waiting outside for me along with daughter who was slurping a Chocó bar,
I am usually polite with people, pay tips as much as I can, but I despised the girls so much for their force selling that I did not even thank them and stormed out of the parlor with a vow to never return back. I would wait for the daughter in the car reading a book, sipping homemade coffee the next week if she insists on my company.
She insisted that we accompany her on her 1st day to the dance class. It was a drive to the other end of the town. We agreed and dropped her with her teacher; she was going to stay there for 90 minutes. The man decided to go for a hair cut on the ground floor in the same complex and suggested I spend time in the ladies saloon next to his.
Left with no option I walked into the parlor. From the other side of the reception 2 girls welcomed me as if I am their long last friend. They had heavily done eyes, dark red lips and maybe they applied 10 layers of various creams, if I scrape the skin with a spoon I may get a bowl full of various potions.
Then started the mind game.
Mam what service are you looking for ?
I said anything which will consume 1 hour
She: go for a hair spa, pedicure or manicure
I: No I can oil, steam and wash my hair at home, scrub my feet, clean and cut my nails too.
They: looked at each other, ok mam then go for a facial.
I: fine, what all do you offer in non chemical, non steroid section.
They: again looked at each other and offered gold, diamond facial the most expensive on their menu card... rs.5000/-
I: no, something within rs.1000
They: sarcastically, mam we start at rs.2000/-
left with no option, I accepted the rs. 2000 facial with a heavy heart.
They: But your skin looks tanned, please go for an anti tan pack or bleach before you start your facial, it is just rs.500 extra for the pack, but the results are going to be miraculous.
I: but this is my natural color, not tan. I drive from home to work, and sit in a sealed room for 12 hours, and drive home after sun set. doctors are suggesting that I expose my skin to sunlight as there is vitamin D deficiency, I am also on cholcalciferol for the same.
They understood that I wasn’t an easy prey.
The massage girl escorted me to a chamber, gave me change, I was reluctant to wear a gown which was on 100 other woman before, I wasn’t sure if they wash them.
She started the process with massaging the cleanser into my skin
She: after wiping the cleanser “mam your skin has lot of dirt, look at this cloth
I: no issues go ahead
She: mam shall I apply the anti tan pack or bleach, to clean the dirt
I: no ……no means “NO” in Bachhan style
She: mam do you apply night cream
I: yes, boroline sometimes.
She: as you are above 40 you should use anti wrinkle and anti ageing cream for night
I : (imagining the son mocking me to death if I make attempts to hide my age by using creams even while sleeping, they wouldnt understand that it is for therapeutic purpose ) I shared with her that I use kajole's Olay during day time to avoid/hide fine lines and wrinkles.
She: no mam, you need special creams for your age, I will give you the best of the products that are suitable exclusively to your skin. By applying them you can just arrest ageing for a long time you are going to look younger than this..
I: I was tempted and asked for the price
She: around rs.3000 for a pack of day and night cream
I did calculations mentally ; I can feed entire family the best quality walnuts and almonds for a month with the same amount, I refused her offer.
I could sense her disappointment as the effort she was putting into massaging the cream onto my face was diminishing. I dint bother; I rushed out of that cabin as fast as I could.
Borrowed rs 2000 from the man who was waiting outside for me along with daughter who was slurping a Chocó bar,
I am usually polite with people, pay tips as much as I can, but I despised the girls so much for their force selling that I did not even thank them and stormed out of the parlor with a vow to never return back. I would wait for the daughter in the car reading a book, sipping homemade coffee the next week if she insists on my company.
In the car I was sulking about how women are fooled and frightened in the name of ageing, foolishly some of them become preys to the big ugly world of cosmetics.
daughter was taunting me mom no one can scrub smelly ripe bananas and papayas onto their skin the way you do. tomatoes , eggs, cucumbers, potatoes, honey , olive oil you don’t spare anything and u also force your homemade packs on me which is equally bad. Saloons are anyday better than your multani mitty base packs .
ohh dear girl I will have to knock some sense into your head about the harm steroids cause to our skin if we become slaves of the beauty products.
ohh dear girl I will have to knock some sense into your head about the harm steroids cause to our skin if we become slaves of the beauty products.
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