Long hair love

Chapter 10 - Clothes That Sat Differently
Another six weeks passed.

Ishan continued taking the tablet he believed was helping his hair. He cooked most evenings, completed yoga inside his bedroom, and used the two tic-tac clips whenever he wanted his face open.

His hair now rested properly on his shoulders. The front remained slightly shorter, allowing the clipped sections to curve softly along the sides of his face.

Other changes had continued as well.

Ishan was not thin. His body still had its familiar softness, but he was no longer as heavy around his stomach. His waist had become smaller, and regular yoga had improved his posture.

At the same time, his chest had developed a slight roundness. His hips and thighs also remained softer and a little fuller than his shrinking waist.

The changes were gradual enough to ignore separately.

His clothes noticed them together.

One morning, Ishan pulled on an old pair of shorts and found the waistband too loose. He tightened the drawstring, but the cloth gathered awkwardly around his middle and sat more closely across his hips.

His cotton boxer shorts had the same problem. They had once been comfortable homewear. Now they slipped at the waist unless he tied them tightly.

His favourite T-shirt created the opposite problem.

It hung loosely over his shoulders and stomach, yet rested more firmly across his chest.

Ishan walked into the dining area holding the waistband of his shorts.

"Did you change the washing-machine setting?" he asked.

Ritika looked up from her breakfast.

"Why?"

"Everything is becoming loose at the waist."

"You have lost weight."

"Then why are the same shorts closer here?"

He pulled lightly at the cloth near his hip.

Ritika looked without staring. She had noticed his slimmer waist and softer shape over the past few months. She still connected both to yoga, better food, and natural weight loss.

"People do not lose weight evenly," she said.

"That answer explains everything and nothing."

"It explains enough for breakfast."

Ishan sat down.

The loose waistband continued bothering him whenever he stood.

That evening, he complained again before beginning yoga.

"I cannot tighten this any more."

Ritika looked at the deep fold created by the drawstring.

"Try my yoga pants."

She brought a plain black pair from her room.

"These are women's yoga pants," Ishan said.

"They are black, soft, and meant for exercise."

"You are avoiding the important word."

"I already said it."

Ritika placed them on the bed.

"Try them if you want. If you do not like them, give them back."

Ishan waited until she left before changing.

The soft waistband settled securely at his smaller waist without needing a tight knot. The flexible material followed his hips and thighs, but it did not pull when he bent his knees.

He wore an oversized T-shirt above them and completed yoga.

The pants stayed in place through every movement.

The next evening, Ishan used them again without asking.

Over the following week, they became his usual yoga clothes. He also kept them on while cooking or watching television because his old shorts no longer stayed comfortably at his waist.

The yoga pants solved the fitting problem.

Then the Mumbai heat became worse.

The pants remained comfortable during exercise, but the thicker material held warmth afterwards.

One evening, Ishan sat at the dining table after yoga. He moved his legs away from the chair, pulled the material lightly from his knees, and shifted again.

Ritika watched him for a minute.

"What is wrong?"

"Nothing."

"You have changed position five times."

"These are good for yoga. Afterwards, they become warm."

"I have a lighter solution."

Ishan looked suspicious.

"What now?"

"Cotton leggings."

"Girls' leggings?"

"Yes. They fit like the yoga pants, but the material is much lighter."

"No."

Ritika did not argue.

"Fine. On Sunday, we will buy some proper clothes for you."

"I can order shorts online."

"No. Your fitting has changed. You need to try things before buying them."

Ishan could not disagree with that. His last three online size guesses had been wrong.

Ritika went to her room and returned with two folded pairs of leggings. One was plain black and the other dark navy.

"Why did you bring both?"

"In case you need them before Sunday."

"I said no."

"I heard you. I am not asking you to wear them now."

She held up the folded pairs.

"I will keep these in your cupboard. Is that okay?"

Ishan looked at the thin cotton material.

"Keep them if you want. I am not promising anything."

"No promise."

Ritika placed both pairs on one side of his cupboard and left the room.

The following afternoon, the heat reached its worst.

Ritika was at work, and nobody else was home. Even with the fan running at full speed, the flat felt warm.

Ishan tried wearing his old boxer shorts, but the loose waist kept slipping. The black yoga pants felt too warm after less than twenty minutes.

He considered sitting in only his innerwear.

Even alone, he felt too shy and uncomfortable to spend the afternoon like that. Ritika could also return early or someone could ring the bell.

Then he remembered the two folded pairs in his cupboard.

Ishan opened the door and looked at them.

The navy pair still had Ritika's fold lines. The black pair felt almost weightless when he lifted it.

"Only because of the heat," he told himself.

He wore the black leggings beneath his long oversized T-shirt.

The material settled closely around his smaller waist and followed the softened line of his hips and legs. It hugged his shape without pressing anywhere.

More importantly, the cotton felt light and cool.

Ishan walked around the room once. Then he sat at his desk.

The waistband did not slip. The cloth did not gather beneath him or hold the same warmth as the yoga pants.

Within a few minutes, he stopped adjusting it.

He worked through the afternoon, made tea, and ate a snack without changing.

By the time Ritika returned, Ishan was sitting at the dining table with his laptop. His hair was held in the open-but-controlled style, and the black leggings remained visible beneath his long T-shirt.

Ritika placed her handbag on the chair.

"Looks like someone agreed."

Ishan looked down at the leggings.

"They are so light."

"I told you."

"And comfortable. How are they this comfortable?"

Ritika smiled.

"That is one secret of women's clothing. The useful things are often hidden in a different section."

Ishan rubbed the cotton lightly between two fingers.

"I want to wear these every day at home."

"I cannot blame you. The material is good."

"What about the navy pair?"

"Use it. My homewear shelf is open to you. If something fits and you like it, take it."

Ishan looked at her.

"Anything?"

"Home clothes," Ritika clarified. "And tell me before you take something I may need."

"Fair."

He smiled and returned to his laptop.

Sunday arrived without either of them mentioning the shopping trip.

Ishan had already washed the black leggings and started using the navy pair. He did not feel any need to search through crowded shops for heavier shorts.

A few days later, he joined a casual evening video call with Naina and Priya, the two colleagues he trusted.

They spoke about ordinary things until Naina asked why Ishan kept moving farther from the fan.

"The heat is terrible today," he said.

"At least you are working from home," Priya replied.

Ishan hesitated.

"I found something comfortable for it. Please do not misunderstand."

He pushed his chair back and adjusted the camera just enough to show the plain black leggings beneath his long T-shirt.

"These are girls' leggings," he said. "But they are much more comfortable than my shorts in this heat."

Naina gave him a confused look.

"Why would we misunderstand comfort?"

Naina moved her own camera slightly. She was wearing light blue cotton leggings with a loose home T-shirt.

Priya stood back from her desk and showed a similar dark pair.

"We are both wearing them," Priya said.

"Exactly," Naina added. "Keep wearing them in this heat."

Ishan moved his camera back to its usual position.

"So no judgement?"

"Only judgement for taking this long to discover cotton leggings," Priya said.

Ishan laughed.

After the call ended, he did not change.

The leggings had begun as Ritika's emergency solution.

Choosing them again—and allowing trusted friends to see—made them part of his own home life.