and revealed a perfect body with glowing, flawless skin. Even so early in the morning, Padma's face was meticulously made up with elaborate makeup. She even wore fake eyelashes with diamonds in them. And her bare feet were decorated with beautiful henna mandala. I was still in my rumpled saree from the day before and I felt quite homely in comparison to her, but that wasn't to last for long.
Padma whisked me into a world of beauty. Though I had been plucked, primped, and primed for a number of years already, it had all been nothing compared to the transformation that took place that day. First Padma took me to a room full of luxurious materials. Skeins and skeins of every color of silk under the sun. A woman took down my measurements and she and Padma impatiently tapped their feet as I was allowed to pick out ten fabrics that I liked. She informed me my new sarees would be ready for me the next day, and in the meantime, she gave me one that was already made. Though it didn't fit perfectly and wasn't as pretty as Padma's, it was still nicer than anything else that had ever caressed my skin.
Next we were onto a beauty salon of sorts. There were other women there as well. Some of them were like younger versions of Padma, only their clothing was embarrassingly revealing. My eyes were drawn to one dark eyed girl who looked close to my age and noticed I could see her full breasts and nipples that were erect from the stroke of the silk against them, right through the thin silk of her saree. When she caught me looking, I dropped my eyes to the floor and my face burned. Still another set of women worked on the revealingly dressed women. Though they also wore pretty sarees, they weren't exposed or provocative like the women with the see through garments. It was all so perplexing to me.
I became caught up in a whirlwind of exotic scents, hot oils and hands all over every part of my body. Very quickly I decided abandoning my shyness would be the best way to cope. First Padma ordered me to undress completely. I was ushered into a small room with an "examining" table of sorts in it and told to lie down.
Padma spoke with a blonde woman who'd entered with them. "All this hair, all over her, it won't do."
"My hair?" I exclaimed. "You're going to cut my hair?"
Padma erupted laughter, a strange jingling sound like bells. "No silly, daft girl. Not the hair on your head . The hair on your body."
I blushed again, wondering if there would ever come an end to my embarrassment. I had never once given a second thought to any hair anywhere on my body. But I certainly did that morning, as Padma and the blonde woman went to work stripping every hair from every part of my body aside from my head with a hot honey concoction.
"Leave a thin stripe there," Padma murmured to the blonde woman when asked about my pubic hair. Tears sprang to my eyes and I bit my lip to keep from screaming as most of my pubic hair was stripped away. I thought I glimpsed a look of delight in Padma's eyes at what must've been a look of torture on my face.
Next, I was taken back into the beauty parlor, still nude. The blonde woman went to work on my mass of black curls while two other women massaged warm almond oil into my skin. The massage would've felt good any other day, but having slept in the most comfortable bed of my life, I felt remarkably well already, given the odd circumstance.
I could feel eyes all over the room scrutinizing my naked body and I shivered from the hostility that invaded me. However, the workers seemed oblivious to it as they began applying elaborate henna art to my feet and hands. I closed my eyes and tried to pretend that I was somewhere else.
After the art came the application of makeup to my face and styling of my hair. It seemed like eternity that I remained still as women made me a work of art from head to foot. When it was finally finished, Padma gave me the
Padma whisked me into a world of beauty. Though I had been plucked, primped, and primed for a number of years already, it had all been nothing compared to the transformation that took place that day. First Padma took me to a room full of luxurious materials. Skeins and skeins of every color of silk under the sun. A woman took down my measurements and she and Padma impatiently tapped their feet as I was allowed to pick out ten fabrics that I liked. She informed me my new sarees would be ready for me the next day, and in the meantime, she gave me one that was already made. Though it didn't fit perfectly and wasn't as pretty as Padma's, it was still nicer than anything else that had ever caressed my skin.
Next we were onto a beauty salon of sorts. There were other women there as well. Some of them were like younger versions of Padma, only their clothing was embarrassingly revealing. My eyes were drawn to one dark eyed girl who looked close to my age and noticed I could see her full breasts and nipples that were erect from the stroke of the silk against them, right through the thin silk of her saree. When she caught me looking, I dropped my eyes to the floor and my face burned. Still another set of women worked on the revealingly dressed women. Though they also wore pretty sarees, they weren't exposed or provocative like the women with the see through garments. It was all so perplexing to me.
I became caught up in a whirlwind of exotic scents, hot oils and hands all over every part of my body. Very quickly I decided abandoning my shyness would be the best way to cope. First Padma ordered me to undress completely. I was ushered into a small room with an "examining" table of sorts in it and told to lie down.
Padma spoke with a blonde woman who'd entered with them. "All this hair, all over her, it won't do."
"My hair?" I exclaimed. "You're going to cut my hair?"
Padma erupted laughter, a strange jingling sound like bells. "No silly, daft girl. Not the hair on your head . The hair on your body."
I blushed again, wondering if there would ever come an end to my embarrassment. I had never once given a second thought to any hair anywhere on my body. But I certainly did that morning, as Padma and the blonde woman went to work stripping every hair from every part of my body aside from my head with a hot honey concoction.
"Leave a thin stripe there," Padma murmured to the blonde woman when asked about my pubic hair. Tears sprang to my eyes and I bit my lip to keep from screaming as most of my pubic hair was stripped away. I thought I glimpsed a look of delight in Padma's eyes at what must've been a look of torture on my face.
Next, I was taken back into the beauty parlor, still nude. The blonde woman went to work on my mass of black curls while two other women massaged warm almond oil into my skin. The massage would've felt good any other day, but having slept in the most comfortable bed of my life, I felt remarkably well already, given the odd circumstance.
I could feel eyes all over the room scrutinizing my naked body and I shivered from the hostility that invaded me. However, the workers seemed oblivious to it as they began applying elaborate henna art to my feet and hands. I closed my eyes and tried to pretend that I was somewhere else.
After the art came the application of makeup to my face and styling of my hair. It seemed like eternity that I remained still as women made me a work of art from head to foot. When it was finally finished, Padma gave me the
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