Memory of Kids: Hair Color

When the due date for my kids to be born was coming near, I started feeling excited. I also wanted to “prepare” myself for their arrival. And part of the preparation was that I wanted “look” nice to my kids when they first saw me. By now due to leisurely use of chemical hair colors, my hair had got as many greys as blacks. Although I was not coloring my hair those days, I decided that I wanted to look nice and young to my kids when they first saw me. So, I decided to color my hair!

The big day passed smoothly. When my kids came out of the operation theater, their eyes were closed. But they were to see me eventually, so I was not disappointed. I was not in a hurry. When they were back at home, they did see me. My son had got big expressive eyes, although a lot of time his eyes showed “anger”. “I was safe inside my mother’s; why did you people bring me out?”, was he thinking like that? When faced with sunlight he would squeeze his eyes. Those were winter days and sunlight is necessary for babies. Anyways, we did take some pictures with kids in arms. In one of the pictures I am holding my son in my arms; while my hair is black! No speck of grey. I was happy. And I was sure that my mission was accomplished. But little did I know that life would come full circle in a matter of 3 years.

Fast forward to early this year. I was to accompany my kids on a journey; and deep inside I was fearing that perhaps this was the last time. And to make it worse: I had not used my hair color!

A few days back from that day, I had got a hair-cut. My favorite way is to cut it very short. I feel light and fresh in small hair. When I returned to home from the barber’s shop, I sported a new very short hair with much of it in grey. Kids came to have “a look” at me. My son just observed me and did not say a thing. But my daughter? She noticed my hair and shouted, “Papa takle ho gaye!” (Father has gone bald!). I was taken aback. I told her defensively that I still had hair, just small hair. She did not seem to be convinced.

Back to the seemingly last journey. At the airport we took pictures. My wife is standing and smiling, kids have a toffee each in their mouths and are very happy. And there I am, trying to smile, in my grey hair. How could I be happy, at what was happening?

The grey hair kind of proves my mental unpreparedness for such an early parting. Had I known this would be so fast, I would have at least colored my hair. So that in the last picture together I would look better. So that my daughter won’t have to ridicule my hair, when she sees the picture. But life has to take full circles. What starts as black hair, ends up in white hair. In between it rests as grey hair. What starts in excitement may end up in disappointment. No matter how much you prepare to face life, it can always throw surprises on your way. And sometimes you are caught on camera with grey hair!

Rahul Tiwary