Aanya had always been the quiet type—top of her class, polite to everyone, never breaking rules. But something inside her had been stirring for a while—a curiosity about shedding expectations, quite literally.
It started with a class discussion on beauty standards. A professor had asked, “What parts of you are truly yours, and what were shaped by society?” Aanya couldn't stop thinking about it.
That night, she stood in front of her mirror, rolled up her sleeves, and looked at her reflection—not critically, but curiously. She saw the hair on her arms, her slightly overgrown underarms, and her long, dark, thick hair that had always been her "pride." But what if she let go of it all? Would she still feel like her?
She didn’t rush.
A few days later, in a small salon tucked behind the college canteen, she sat down in the chair and said calmly, “Bald. Clean shave.”
The stylist paused. “Are you sure?”
Aanya smiled. “Absolutely.”
As the clippers buzzed to life, her heart pounded, but not from fear. The first pass revealed her bare scalp—soft, glowing, unfamiliar, and stunning. Each stroke felt like peeling away layers of insecurity and other people's opinions.
When it was done, she went home, looked in the mirror, and felt… light.
That same night, she gently shaved her underarms too—not for looks, not for a trend, but because she wanted to experience the choice on her own terms. She had never questioned why she did it before. This time, she did it just for herself.
The next morning on campus, heads turned—but not in mockery. In admiration. Her friends squealed in surprise, especially when one of them playfully rubbed her freshly shaved scalp.
“Yaar, you actually did it?” Priya laughed, eyes wide.
Aanya grinned. “Yup. Hair grows back. Confidence doesn’t always.”
For the first time, she wasn’t hiding any part of herself. Her bald head shimmered under the sun. Her sleeveless top showed smooth, bare arms and underarms. She felt more her than ever.
That day, Aanya wasn’t just seen. She was remembered.