Wear it with a twist!

As a kid, I had to wage a war against my mother to let me keep my hair long. While she insisted me on wearing a not-even-close version of the Lady Diana hairdo (done horribly at the parlour around the corner), I wanted to flaunt those tresses. Finally, it was my dearest grandmom who jumped in and lectured my mom about how hair is a woman’s most treasured asset.

Although mid-length, layered and highlighted now, my hair was, as O Henry would describe, “a mini cascade of brown waters”, and I loved it will all my heart. Aaji devised many ways to tie them up. Since there weren’t too many accessories back then, so plaits, plaits and more plaits was the way to go!

The ritual began with a champi. During exams, when the hair kept falling all over my face, Aaji wove it tightly on the tip of my head, like a modern day crown braid. No-fuss pigtails were worn by everyone in school. As a teenage athlete, it kept me cool, too. The best part — you didn’t need a holding spray to eliminate flyaways.

Braided bangs, however, were my very own invention. I practiced them during daydreaming sessions and boring lectures and voila, didn’t I master them. Lately, I’ve also learnt to accessorise them with neon threads and bling clip-ons And even though my hair is a little shorter than usual these days, a few pumps of Dove Elixir and a French braid totally helps me keep bad hair days at bay!