The story is about a small girl from Bangalore who is forced by her mother to get a haircut. This small incident leads to confrontation of a harsh truth and changes her whole perception about life.

 

“But Mom, I don’t want to cut my hair” said Bonnie as tears rolled down from her eyes.

Bonnie and her mother, Elisa belonged from an upper middle Christian community of Bangalore. They lived in a small 1BHK flat in the midst of a broken family. When Bonnie was 2, her father left his mother in the name of a distant job in the U.S and never came back. Since then Bonnie and Elisa have survived this cruel world alone. Now, after 7 years their lives have changed. Bonnie is growing up to be a beautiful lady and Elisa still works in her tailor shop to provide for their living.

One day after Bonnie comes back from school, Elisa asks her to cut her hair. As a child growing up seeing Aishwarya Rai’s long wavy hair, Priyanka Chopra’s dark brown hair, Bonnie loved keeping long hair. For her hair was the sign of beauty and elegance. She revolted when mother asked her to go for a haircut. As a single parent, Elisa was always like a friend to Bonnie. She never forced her to do anything that her daughter did not want to do. But something was strange today, thought Bonnie. “What’s wrong with you Mommy? Why are you forcing me?’’ said Bonnie. “Just come with me to the parlour, listen to your poor mother at times, your hair looks ugly and unclean” said Elisa. Bonnie always had a thought in her mind that her mother loves her hair. She was a little broken from the inside when Elisha told her hair was unclean. She stood up from the chair and replied, ‘’let’s go’’.

In a city of pollution and garbage, Bonnie kept walking without uttering a word. She thought what her friends would think when they see her in the school. A series of thoughts ran through her mind and her heart was beating fast. With each step, her eyes were getting watery. After five minutes of inhaling pollution, she reached the parlour.

‘’Hello Madam! What would you like to do?’’ asked Pinky, the parlour owner and handed over the menu to Elisa. “My daughter here wants to have haircut’ ’give her a boy-cut’’. Bonnie sat down on the chair as Pinky covered her shoulders with a towel and started spraying water on her hair. “You have such long and thick hair, why do you want to cut them’’ asked Pinky. “She is donating for a cause” said Elisa. Ten minutes of chop-chop and it was done. Pinky took away the towel. Bonnie looked at her reflection through the mirror. Her beauty hair was gone and she could never forgive mother for that. “60 rupees Madam” said Pinky as she started sweeping the floor. “No! Could you pack the hair and give it to me?” said Elisa. Bonnie hated this attitude of mother and decided to walk away home.

The next day Bonnie woke for school. Her anger was gone and she started looking for mother. Her mother was talking to a man with a white Apron outside the house. She thought him to be Elisa’s friend and sat on the sofa awaiting her.

She saw her mother handing over a packet to that man. ‘’Oh wait, that’s my hair’’, cried Bonnie. She was getting up to run towards her mother when saw a note on the table.

Five minutes later Elisa came inside. Bonnie was sitting on the ground with the note in her hand and tears in her eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me Mommy?’’,” I have always hated dad for leaving us” said Bonnie. “Why did you lie’’? “Yes, he left us because he did not have a choice Bonnie, not because he wanted to”.” That disease took him from us” said Elisa breaking into tears. “I wanted you to be mature enough to understand that; you lost your father to cancer when you were 2” “I was waiting for the right time”.

From that day till this day, Bonnie misses her mother when she gets a haircut and donates it for the cancer patients. She called her mother from London today. Elisa was happy to see that Bonnie still donates her hair like she herself does. Bonnie’s perception of beauty has changed ever since.

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