Saved by a Shave

Image taken from here.

Finally the coveted day had arrived. I had been working in the same firm for over 3 years now, today was the day I was officially getting promoted. When my boss told me about the promotion I could barely contain myself.

As I drove to the office in my car, I became nostalgic and started remembering the day I first stepped into the office. The day of my interview.

The day started as any other. I woke up. Had a smooth shave with my Gillette Fusion blade and my Gillette Shaving Gel. I picked up my CV and left the house. Honestly speaking I had no expectation of getting the job. My batch-mate Rahul Verma (name changed to protect identity) was also short-listed for the interview. Now he was an all-rounder. He had almost as many degrees as Manmohan Singh and had just come back from foreign studies. I didn’t stand a chance.

I reached the office where I saw Rahul sitting on the couch. He wore a classy suit and had an expensive watch on. The only flaw in his appearance was the stubble on his face. But Rahul was confident. He knew he was getting the job. When he saw me, he looked at me with contempt, as if I was as nothing to him. We both gave the interview and went our separate ways.

Two days later I got a call saying that I got the job. I was ecstatic. At first I thought I got the job only because Rahul must have turned it down. But a mutual friend of Rahul and mine later confirmed with me that Rahul was never offered the job at all.

Back to the day of the promotion: I was standing before the entire office when the announcement was made. People came up to congratulate me. But I had something else on my mind. I dashed through the crowd, walked up to my boss and asked him why he picked me over Rahul all hose years ago, to which he simply replied, “You bothered to shave for the interview.”

This post is a part of #WillYouShave activity at BlogAdda in association with Gillette.

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A Close Shave!

“… my wife and daughter like it when I'm clean-shaven. If you see me with a clean face, then you know I'm in the kissing mode!”

-Patrick Dempsey

Image taken from here.

My roommate and I were sitting at the bar together, when we saw this amazingly hot girl, sitting all by herself on the bar stool, reading ‘Pride and Prejudice’. My roomate and I both decided to go and buy her a drink. He shouted “Dibs!”, and before I could say anything he made his way towards her, like a cheetah approaching a deer. He chatted with her for about a minute then returned to the table. He got shot down. Apparently, she told him that if she wanted to kiss a cactus she had one at home. She was obviously referring to his stubble. He hadn't shaved for about a week.

Image taken from here.

Fortunately, I had shaved that morning, so I decided it was my time to shine. I walked up to her and chatted her up. “Pride and Prejudice. Since you are already reading about two sins, how about a third?” I said, indicated towards myself. She giggled, and we totally hit it off. I asked her out for coffee, but she said she was busy. So we exchanged phone numbers and decided to meet some other day.

Unfortunately, whenever I called she was always busy. Weeks passed, and I called her less frequently, so as to not come off as desperate. Then one day, my roommate and I walking at Marine Drive in the evening, when suddenly I got her call. “Hey!” she said, “Can you meet for coffee in 20 minutes?” I answered in the affirmative. We decided on the café, which was a 10 minute walk from where I was at that time, and I promised I would be on time. After cutting the call I turned to my friend and told him what happened. He was happy for a couple of seconds then suddenly freaked out as if he remembered something. He reminded me about how he got shot down because of his stubble, and pointed out that I had more than just stubble, but an actual beard! He was right. I couldn’t go to her like this. But what could I do? She was expecting me in 20 minutes, and in that much time I could not go to the hostel, shave and reach the café on time.

Image taken from
Flipkart.com

Image taken from 
Flipkart.com

My roommate and  I looked at each other for a second, then we both had the same realization. We ran to the medical store near by and bought a Gillette Fusion blade and a Gillette Shaving Gel. I ran towards the café and rushed towards the washroom. I began shaving with less than 10 minutes left for my date. Fortunately, because of the Gillette razor and Gillette Shaving Gel, I could shave quickly without any pain or cuts. It was a smooth shave and I still had a few minutes to spare.

I stepped out of the washroom and waited for my date, who was exactly on time. She saw my clean shaven face, smiled, and the rest as they say….is history.

This post is a part of #WillYouShave activity at BlogAdda in association with Gillette.

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Seriously- Kitna Chain Hota Hai Na Sachchai Mein!

“An error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation, nor does truth become error because nobody sees it. Truth stands, even if there be no public support. It is self sustained.”

-Mahatma Gandhi

My father always loved his antique vase. It was his prized possession.  So naturally, when he found saw it broken into pieces in the living room one fine morning, he blew the roof. An emergency family meeting was called and my mom, my elder sister, my elder brother and I were interrogated like criminals. However, after a couple of hours of 3^rd degree torture, we all dispersed.  My father simply chalked up the incident to a natural disaster that occurred by the strong wind blowing the curtain towards the vase, causing it to fall and shatter into pieces.

My mother went back to the kitchen and my siblings went back to using their respective smart phones. However, I could not forget the incident so easily. I went out for a walk, all the time replaying the incidents of the previous night.

I had woken up for a glass of water in the middle of the night. On my way back to my room, just for fun I decided that I would try to find my way back with my eyes closed. I managed to get half way there, with only one bump against the dining room table, when I suddenly dashed into something and heard a shattering sound. I opened my eyes and there it was- the remains of what was once my Dad’s favourite artifact.

I was sad and afraid. If my Dad found out, it would be the end of me. So I decided to keep the truth to myself and take it with me to my grave. When I went back home the pieces of the vase were still lying on the ground. My father had prohibited anyone from cleaning it up, lest the matter be forgotten. I slowly made my way towards the dining table, all the while staring at the pieces of clay that were at the centre of the room. I grew pale and my head started aching. I was filled with so much guilt that I felt like the leading character in Edgar Allen Poe’s ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’.  My chest got heavier and heavier. My heart was beating a mile a minute. I started sweating profusely. I was out of breath. It was as though all the oxygen had left the room. I couldn't take it any more!

Kinley: “Boond Boond Mein Sacchai"
(Image taken from here.)

“Dad, it was me!” I shouted. I then explained the entire story to my Dad. I was surprised to find that my Dad was not as angry at me as I had imagined. Yes, he mildly scolded at me and told me never to walk around with my eyes closed again, but that was it! I was grounded for a week but it did not matter to me. A weight was lifted! I never felt so alive!

A few years later my Dad passed away. Looking back now, I am glad I told my Dad the truth. Had I lied to him, the guilt would have remained with me my whole life. So I have imposed on my self a rule to always come forward, be true to others and myself and live a pure life.

Kitna chain hota hai na sachchai mein!

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#WillYouShave ? Because I Definitely Will.

"Shave off your beard and wear a dress. You would be a great female impersonator."

-Simon Cowell

As a matter of principle, I would only shave right before a big interview or a date with an attractive woman. But that was before the fateful events of 24th November 2014. You see I got into the craze of what was being widely spread as 'No Shave November'. So I was strutting around with more than just stubble. In fact, a few days ago a classmate of mine 'Mr. Roy Kapoor' (names changed to protect identity of those involved), who was always clean shaven, publicly ridiculed me in class for this very reason. I paid no heed to his taunts and comments, although in retrospect I wish I had.

One Monday (24th November), as I was on my way to college, I got a call from my friend  informing me that the Principal was holding a 'small' intra-college Fashion Show. What he said next made me realize that the intra-college show was not so small after all. Apparently, the Principal was using the show as a means of deciding who would represent the college at the National Level Modelling Competition.

Now, I was always into modelling. I had the built for it, and was well-trained in my movements. If I got to participate in Nationals it would open some doors for me. Also, our Principal was young and smoking hot, and this show could have been an excellent chance to get her attention ;) . When I reached college I registered for the show immediately. Since the competition was organized in a haste, and without prior notice, we were informed that clothes has no bearing on our scores. I also found out that my arch nemesis 'Roy Kapoor' was participating.

The show started and I was waiting for my turn to come up. I checked out the rest of the competition. A few of them had a built as good as mine, but none of them knew how to 'walk the walk'. Roy was good. But not better than me. When my name was called out I went on the stage and did my thing. I had bagged the competition. Or so I thought...

Half an hour later, the Principal went on stage to declare the results. As she said "And the winner, who will be representing us at Nationals is ...", I was half up my seat, ready to walk up on stage. "...Roy Kapoor.", she exclaimed. 

Image taken from here.

I was heart-broken. i sulked for the next few days. November passed and I decided my beard was getting a bit too much. On the morning of the 1st of December, I shaved using Gillette Fusion, since that's the only blade with which one can get a good, clean, smooth and quick shave.

That day I went to college as usual, when the principal spotted me. She asked me if I was a student of the college. I nodded, trying all the time not to look down her blouse. "Why didn't you participate in the Fashion Show last week?", she asked. "But I did ma'am. I was the one in the blue shirt and cargo shorts." She thought for a moment and asked, "Did you have a beard back then?". I answered in the affirmative. "Oh. I wish you had come with a clean shave. I would have definitely picked you." Then she lightly stroked my smooth cheeks and walked away, leaving me both, confused and aroused.

But more importantly, I was upset. I lost only because of my stubble. I sore from that day that I would shave regularly. And from that day on, thanks to my Gillette Fusion, my life has never been better.

As for, how things went between me and the Princi, that's a story for another day. ;)

This post is a part of #WillYouShave activity at BlogAdda in association with Gillette.

I tag: Monica's Corner for the #WillYouShave Challenge 
I tag: The Solitary Writer for the #WillYouShave Challenge 
I tag: Dare to Think, Beyond Horizon for the #WillYouShave Challenge 

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