" Beard to Bindi "

(Mother knocks and steps into Nikhil’s room. Nikhil is lying on the bed, phone in hand, clearly bored.)

Mother: “Kitni der se phone ghum raha hai, kuch aur kyu nahi karta?”

Nikhil (grumbling): “Kya karu Maa? There’s nothing to do. I’ve already watched everything. Even cricket at night isn’t enough.”

Mother (sits at the edge of the bed): “Toh boredom door karne ka ek tareeka socha hai maine.”

Nikhil (raising an eyebrow): “Kya? Don’t say ‘go read a book’ please.”

Mother (laughs): “Nahi beta, not that. I was thinking… why don’t we dress you up like a girl? Makeup, hairstyle, thoda masti, just for fun!”

Nikhil (instantly sits up): “Maa! No way. Please don’t start!”

Mother (smiling): “Arey, it’s not a big deal! Dekh, it’ll be fun. You’ve got long hair already, and you said you’re bored.”

Nikhil (shocked): “I said I’m bored, not crazy!”

Mother (pretending to think): “Hmm… okay, then if you say no, no phone for the next three days. And no TV or turf cricket either.”

Nikhil (groans loudly): “What?! That’s not fair, Maa!”

Mother (crossing her arms): “And if you argue more, I’ll cut your hair short. Bas. Problem solved.”

Nikhil (eyes wide): “You wouldn’t dare.”

Mother (calmly): “Tumhe pata hai main kya kya kar sakti hoon. Don’t test me.”

Nikhil (mumbling): “This is emotional blackmail.”

Mother (smiling sweetly): “Call it what you want, but it’s happening.”

Nikhil (defeated): “Okay okay, I’ll do it. But please, don’t go crazy with lipstick and all.”

Mother (grinning): “Thoda toh karenge! Don’t worry, nothing permanent.”

Nikhil (rolling his eyes): “Great. Just let me survive this.”

Mother (lightly): “By the way, the parlor lady downstairs saw you earlier and thought you were a girl from behind!”

Nikhil: “Seriously?! Even she?”

Mother: “Haan! Jab tak tumne bola nahi, she didn’t realize. We even laughed about it.”

Nikhil: “Great. Just what I needed.”

Mother (laughing): “She was the one who suggested dressing you up! Said it’ll be fun.”

Nikhil: “Wow. My life’s a comedy show now.”

Mother (cheerfully shouting downstairs): “He’s agreed! Let’s start!”

(Mother walks out of Nikhil’s room with a victorious smile and heads back to the living room, where the parlor lady is packing up her things after waxing.)

Mother (bubbling with excitement): “You won’t believe it! Nikhil has finally agreed! I’m in seventh heaven, yaar. Literally, excited as hell!”

Parlor Lady (grinning): “Arre wah! Such wonderful news! I’m so happy for you. This calls for a celebration, seriously!”

Mother (laughing): “Yes! Let’s celebrate! I can’t stop smiling. This moment… I’ve been waiting for it forever!”

Parlor Lady (playfully): “Toh phir, it’s going to take all the magic of my parlor — waxing kit, makeup kit, nail polish, everything! Don’t worry, I’ll bring it all.”

Mother (surprised): “Oh! You’ll bring all that here?”

Parlor Lady (winking): “Haan haan! You just relax. I’ll bring the whole parlor with me. You won’t have to lift a finger!”

Mother (relieved): “That’s such a relief. But… there’s a small problem.”

Parlor Lady (curious): “Kya problem?”

Mother: “Nikhil is six feet tall. And my salwar kameez… well, it’s not going to fit him at all!”

Parlor Lady (laughing): “Oh ho! Six feet, huh? That’s tall! But don’t worry, meri beti bhi six feet ki hai. I’ll bring her salwar kameez, undergarments, accessories, footwear — sab kuch! We’ll make sure he’s dressed perfectly.”

Mother (grateful): “Really? You’d do that?”

Parlor Lady: “Of course! I want everything to be perfect. You just focus on the excitement. I’ll handle the rest.”

Mother (smiling): “You’re a lifesaver. I was so worried about the fitting.”

Parlor Lady (teasing): “Arre, tension kaisi? I’ve seen and fixed worse! By the time I’m done, Nikhil will look like Kriti Sanon!”

Mother (laughs): “That’s exactly what I want! I can’t thank you enough.”

Parlor Lady: (packing imaginary kits) “Waxing kit, makeup kit, nail polish, hair straightener, perfume… bas I’m coming loaded! You call me anytime, I’m your parlor on wheels now.”

Mother (excited): “Perfect! I’ll get everything ready on my side too.”

Parlor Lady (smiling warmly): “Great! I’ll be back soon with everything. This transformation is going to be epic!”