Makeover for Paddu : English

Padmavathi also called as Paddu, lived in a small green village where mornings smelled of soil and cow dung. She was twenty, soft-spoken, with long hip-length hair that shined like a river in sunlight. Her father Rajanna and mother Parvathamma were strict people, busy with work and rules more than words. They loved Paddu, but their love came as orders, not hugs. Paddu went to school, read storybooks, and believed angels and fairy tales. She always wanted to go and experience the Pune city life. One night, when the village slept under the sound of insects, Paddu packed a small bag. 

Her heart beat fast with excitement as she climbed the compound wall without looking back. She hid inside a passing lorry and escaped to experience her innocent dream of the city. Paddu jumped down from the lorry near the city signal, her eyes wide with happiness and wonder. Tall buildings, fast vehicles, and bright boards made her feel she had reached a dream world. For a while, she smiled and walked, thinking this city was even better than her imagination. Slowly, the roads changed, and she entered a huge slum filled with dust and smell. Women in old, torn clothes stood around, their heads fully shaved in a harsh, rough way. 

Their tearful eyes and forcedly shaved bald heads scared Paddu, and her heart started beating fast. She felt lost, small, and suddenly very far from her happy village life. As she moved forward, she noticed a place shining differently among the broken shops. The board read Angelzzz Cutzzz, with bright colors and Feminine decorations. Thinking angels might be there, Paddu slowly peeked inside the shop which was actually a salon run by a lady barber who was known as Nishzzz. Inside the shop, Nishzzz was finishing a sharp, trendy bob cut on her client with calm focus. 

As she worked, her eyes caught a small movement behind the curtain. She finished the bob cut neatly, sent the client away, and locked the shop from inside. “Come out,” she said firmly. Paddu stepped forward slowly, eyes down, hands tight around her bag. Nishzzz looked at her long hair and innocent face and asked who she was and why she came and all. Paddu softly said her name was Padmavathi and spoke like a small child. Nishzzz listened with serious face and her eyes understanding more than Paddu told. She realized this innocent girl had no idea how dangerous the Pune city could be for her.

Pointing to the chair, Nishzzz said, “Come sit here, I will give you a city makeover,”  Paddu sat on the soft chair and looked around the salon in wonder. The place was shiny and rich, with bright lights, mirrors, and costly tools everywhere. Nishzzz covered Paddu with a cape and gently adjusted her position. Paddu felt a little scared but trusted her. She asked questions curiously with voice soft and curious, watching Nishzzz in the mirror. Nishzzz calmly worked, answering briefly, and said her real name was Nishaswini. She combed Paddu’s long black hair slowly, letting it fall straight down the floor.

Without any warning nishzzz moved the scissors suddenly fast. Thick chunks of paddu's hair fell to the floor. Paddu froze as she saw in the mirror and realized something was very wrong. Paddu gasped as cold breeze touched the back of her neck, making her shiver with fear. She looked into the mirror and saw her hair being cut close to her scalp. Her heart panicked as she softly asked why her hair was being cut so much. She thought about her village, her home, her fear of facing the world like this. Tears slowly rolled down her cheeks as more hair dropped, uneven and messy. Nishzzz did not stop cutting the hair. 

Half of her head was now left with short chunks of hair. Suddenly, Nishzzz gave one sharp, harsh command " Be quiet ". Paddu froze, numb and quiet, still sobbing softly. Soon the scissors stopped, and Paddu’s long hair was gone with leaving only short chunks. Nishzzz gently held Paddu’s chin, brushed her face, and wiped her tears with her fingers. She gave a small, calm smile. Then she walked to the side track and picked up her favorite clipper. She removed the guard and stood behind Paddu. To ease her fear, Nishzzz began telling a story about an angel. Paddu listened with curiosity. 

The clipper touched the back of her neck, and Paddu shivered at the strange feeling. She realized her head was being shaved, something she had never felt before. Nishzzz continued the story as the nape was shaved clean. Nishzzz spoke slowly, telling Paddu about an angel who came to Pune five years ago. The angel came from a nearby village after her husband died and her brother called her to the city, saying he would help her survive. The city looked kind at first, but soon showed its dark face. The angel’s long knee-length hair was the main threat. 

That night Lord Raya noticed her while she walked near the big slum. Raya was a feared politician, cruel and powerful, known for dirty work. He ran a secret hair Mafia, taking long hair from poor women and selling it for money to rich. The slum was full of women with torn clothes and brutally shaved heads. One evening, Raya’s men surrounded the angel and kidnapped her forcefully. Suddenly, Nishzzz stopped the story and stepped away from the chair. Paddu came back to reality and looked into the mirror in shock. Her long hair was gone, and her head was shaved roughly.

Short hairs covered the floor, the chair, and even her shoulders. Nishzzz calmly began mixing shaving foam in a bowl. Paddu watched in confusion as Nishzzz prepared a straight razor. She questioned why to shave more as her head was already bald. Her voice sounded innocent and scared, but Nishzzz stayed quiet, spread thick foam over Paddu’s head, and said " stay still " coldly. The razor touched her scalp and moved smoothly as Nishzzz shaved Paddu’s head, one hand guiding the blade and the other holding her head tightly. Nishzzz continued the story and told her how badly the Raya mens shaved her head forcefully.

Soon the shave was complete and she applied aftershave over Paddu’s smooth scalp. Paddu shivered due to light burning sensation. Nishzzz pressed her hands on Paddu’s shoulders and removed the cape. Paddu stared at her bald head, feeling strange and lost. Quickly, she pulled her dupatta over her head. As Paddu was about to leave, Nishzzz stopped her and quietly took her to another room. Paddu stepped inside and froze, seeing a huge room filled with rich and stylish women’s clothes. Nishzzz asked her to remove her clothes. Paddu slowly removed her dupatta. When Nishzzz asked her to remove everything, 

Paddu hesitated, feeling shy and unsure. Nishzzz gently turned her toward the mirror and stripped off paddu's old village clothes by her own hands. Paddu was standing bare before the mirror, Paddu felt exposed, and scared. her naked body was shivvering due to cold wind of the AC. Nishzzz calmly helped her wear new inner wear and dressed Paddu in a rich black mini skirt and a red sleeveless top she had never worn before. Nishzzz made her sit at the dressing table, opened her makeup box, and began preparing her for the sruel outside world. The makeup was bold and sharp like the city itself.

Foundation , blush, shine, and strong colors changed her face, and her bald head caught the light due to shiner lotion. When Paddu looked up, Nishzzz was already gone and Paddu stared into the mirror, seeing fear, shock, and surprise. Padmavathi was hardly recognizable. The silence broke with a loud trimmer sound. Her heart jumped, and she slowly walked back to the room. There she saw Nishzzz, shaving off her own buzzcut. Nishzzz’s face was focused, anger and sadness inside her. Paddu asked in a worried, innocent voice " Why are you shaving your head ". Nishzzz only smiled faintly and kept shaving.

Paddu softly asks what happened to that angel, because the story is still spinning in her head. Nishzzz looks at her in the mirror and calmly said " The angel only shaved your head, Paddu. it was not to insult, not to hurt, not to punish but to protect you from Raya and his mens. That angel was me only… Nishaswini." Paddu stood frozen, slowly understanding the pain Nishzzz faced. Nishzzz finished her head shave and it was smooth, shining, strong like Paddu’s. She changes into a bold outfit and walks back holding Paddu’s hand and opens the door and takes her outside to face the cruel Pune city .