Makeup

He looked up as she called him for makeup. His wandering eyes tried to narrow down her position through the crowd. As he politely asked the people around him to step away, she looked at him with awe. He arrived where she sat and settled comfortably in his seat. Finally, she began his makeup.

No, he was not a celebrity though he was quite celebrated in her world, she was not his makeup artist, and no, they were not in a gleaming makeup room of a reputed studio. They were on the, usually bustling and seldom quiet, Ferguson college road in Pune.

Sitting in front of a fancy mobile store, she had already laid down colorful and unique ornaments on a maroon makhmal-y cloth, below which, there was a cheap, pale pink plastic sheet (which she used to lay it below him when he was in his bed-wetting phase). Now that her roadside shop was opened for the day, she turned towards her 7-year-old and continued their daily routine. She started painting his face with all the bright colors she could gather… Bright enough to catch the attention of the passersby… She always created a thick, non-penetrable layer of makeup and she never missed a spot. 

Image by Rohan Lunavat via Instagram/rohaan0210

He quietly looked around while she did her job. That's when he saw Gulaabbo arriving. Gulaabbo was about his age. Her foreign, transparent, and fair skin had turned pink in the past week. With her blond hair and pink skin, she looked just like a doll. He smiled. He immediately got a slap. 

"Sattu, halu nakos." (don't move) His mother scolded. 

He pouted with an angry face. She just ignored it. Not getting any attention from her, he again diverted his eyes towards Gulaabbo. By now, Gulaabbo had spotted him and was waving at him.

Gulaabbo had arrived in Pune 4 days back with her parents, who were both professional photographers. Her parents were on their month-long visit to the exotic and poor land of India. To explore India as it is, they had learned basic Hindi. A kid with his face painted with bright colors was one of their attractions in their Pune visit. 

Today was their last day in Pune. They asked for his mother’s permission to take his photos. Initially, she had refused. But extra 500 bucks made her change her mind. After clicking numerous photos of Sattu, they turned towards his mother and started asking questions. Most of their questions were about his education. As she tells everyone else, she told them that she can’t afford it. They handed her another 100 bucks saying Aapka beta boaut piyaara hey (you have a lovely kid).

“I like your face. It is colorful", Gulaabo initiated a conversation with Sattu while their parents talked.

“Tu kuthun aalis?” (Where did you come from?)

“You look like a cartoon character”

“Tu Gudiya distes ekdum” (You look just like a doll)

“Where do you live?”

“Tu parat kadhi yenar?” (When will you come back?)

“When I grow up, I will come back here to meet you.”

“Mi motha houn roz ya hotelat khanar.” (When I grow up, I will eat at this hotel every day)

He pointed to a hotel that was just two shops away.

“Do you like the food here?”

She asked looking in that direction and smiled.

He just nodded and smiled back.

Gulaabbo’s parents called out to her.

“Come honey. We are getting late.”

Gulaabbo waved goodbye to Sattu and ran towards her parents.

Sattu couldn’t hear what she was saying. But she told something to her parents and they all entered the hotel that he had mentioned.

As they went out of his sight, he remembered something. He ran back to his mother. She was keeping the money in her small wallet which she then kept hidden in her saree near her chest.

“Aai, hya paishancha kay karaycha?” (Mom, what are we going to do with this money?)

She smiled and started adjusting the ornaments.

“Apan tya hotel madhe nahi janar aahot. Tuze shaleche kapade aata june zalet. Te phadun ithe saafsafai la vaparu aani tula navin kapde gheu.”

(We are not going to that hotel. Your school uniform has become old now. Let’s use that now for cleaning these ornaments and buy you a new uniform.)

It was going to take many more trips for Gulaabbo’s parents to see India without the makeup…