That was enough of a humiliation for Julie when the sales girl took her husband-to-be as her father in-law, while the two were strolling in the big bazaar during a weekend.
In the past too, she had faced similar awkward situations. Julie’s husband JK, as they fondly call him, started having grey hairs from age 30, hidden in his thick curly hairs, and no one noticed them in the beginning.
On Sundays, while relaxing in his easy chair, JK would offer 25 paise for each grey hair being uprooted by his niece or nephews, which was reduced to 10 paisa as the number of grey hairs started increasing in numbers.
The grey hair problem got acute over the next few years, so much so, by 40, all his hair became jute-white.
Julie a fashionable lady teacher in a local school would request her husband to dye the hair to escape teasing comments from her collogues. JK was a very practical man, down to earth, and never believed in show or fashion. His logic was one should accept the ageing process gracefully.
Luckily, to end the controversy over the white hair, JK was transferred to a hospital in a remote place in Orissa as a specialist, and his wife and son continued to stay in the capital enjoying the luxuries of life. JK was hunted like Elute (Boney M character) because he was neither rich nor had connections at the top. He was not prepared to bribe anyone for a posting nearer home. Years passed by, and he got shunted like a wagon. JK believed in service to mankind, which was service to God.
JK’s devotion and sincerity at last paid off and he was promoted to a higher post, and instead of the peripheral hospital he was posted at the district headquarter hospital as a senior gynecologist. By now, JK’s crop of hair had become whiter, due to ageing, irregular food habits and tension at work. He would visit his home in the capital once in a while on official assignments or during some family functions. He never wanted to humiliate his wife, Julie, with the silvery white hair and mustache.
Every time he was home, his wife, and then his son too, would request him to go and dye his hair, but he would just smile and switch the topic. JK would criticise and make fun of his own hair, and how he was seen as an ‘old man’ by his nursing staff at the hospital. His senior colleagues, much older to JK, would dye their hair and mustache even to an extent it appeared the mustache was pasted on their face, as if in a stage performance.
JK held the view that this was like cheating oneself with facial masks like stage actors or film stars, who would not venture out of their house without makeup even if they are out to attend a funeral.
Things started to change in the minds of JK once he was transferred to the capital as health director, where almost all his subordinate doctors and officials were ladies. In a departmental picnic, JK was feeling out of place, more so as his wife too was present.
Julie was just the reverse of JK. She would wear costly sarees, dye her hair, and put on makeup, to the envy of others. During introduction, when JK introduced his wife to others, they were amused to see a young female next to him. Julie felt embarrassed in that family picnic. Back home, she sobbed for hours, which upset her husband no end!
Julie warned her husband, “I had enough of your white hairs and graceful aging. Henceforth, you dye your hair or else I would never accompany you to any event. Don’t you feel bad when people are openly commenting so much about your funny looks?”
JK just smiled as there was nothing new about the controversy with his white hair.
A few weeks later, in another departmental function, a cute nurse and a young lady doctor suggested to JK: that he would “look really young and handsome” if he could dye his hair and mustache and dress smartly with colourful garments. JK still had a thick crop of hair on top even though they have turned grey.
That day, while coming back from duty in the evening hour, those sweet voices echoed in his ears and JK had a change of mind. He walked straight into a beauty parlour.
“Sir, haircut or dying?” the hairdresser asked.
“Both.”
“Short or hero-style?” asked the dresser.
“The latest trend, please. And remove mustache but use the best dye, L’Oreal.” JK knew as much and suggested as much.
A couple of hours later, when the doorbell rang and Julie opened the main door, JK had the shock of his life. “Who are you and what do you want?” She asked him.
JK laughed out loud. “Can’t you recognize your own husband? Julie, do you remember that Hindi song? Dil ko dekho, chehera na dekho?”
