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K: Kohl

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"No, I'd like my eyes to be bare please." I push away the hands of the make up artist who is holding the jet black kohl pencil in her hands.

"But madam, without this you will look really pale. You are the bride today, all eyes will be on you. You will look more beautiful with this." She tries to make her point.

"Its fine. I don't need it." I look away.

"But......" She looks helpless.

"I said no. Now come do my hair." I yell at her.

She drops the pencil back into her box and hurriedly gathers the comb and the styling serum and walks behind me to adjust my hair.

I look at the mirror. I look beautiful. I had flawless skin and the makeup looked very good on it. The blush was of the perfect color and my red lips were done up beautifully. The amount of gloss was adequate and it shone under the light. But my eyes gave away my plight. It looked sad and empty. I couldn't help but go back to that day six years ago.

"What do you like so much about her?" I ask Kunal.

"I don't like her, I love her." Came the curt reply.

It hurts, when the man you love says he is in love with someone else. It pierced me in every possible way and yet I wanted an answer to the question. Especially when Tia never bothered to acknowledge his feelings.

"You know she doesn't feel the same, right?" I look at Kunal with love laden eyes almost pleading him to love me instead.

"Yes, but it doesn't matter. I love her and that is enough for me to survive." He stares at her from a distance as I'm seated at his cubicle. Tia was his best friend, but Kunal was in love with her. And I was his colleague who sat next to him everyday just so that he realized how much I loved him.

"But what is it about her that you love so much?" I had to know.

"Her eyes. They are so expressive and bright. I like the way they stand out on her face. And the way she wears kohl to accentuate it. I wish I could be that kohl you know. So close to those pretty eyes and an important part of her. She is beautiful, yes. But she is more beautiful on the inside. Her soul is the prettiest and I can see that in her eyes. I have never meant a more wonderful person in my life before. Someday, I hope that I get to see love for me in her kohl rimmed eyes." I could see true love in his eyes. But they were not for me.

And since that day I have always hated kohl and the mention of it. Every time I see someone wearing it, I see her face and how she had the only man that I loved. And she let go off him. And he is still waiting for her. I waited for him too, for five long years, but he couldn't look beyond her eyes. Today as I marry a man I do not love, I still hate everything that has to do with kohl.

Linking to the A to Z Challenge.

Comments

  1. Powerful narration as always, Soumya :) How beautifully you have weaved a story around kohl!

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  2. That was indeed very powerful.

    Cheers

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  3. Heart rending tale. Superbly penned Soumya :) Kudos!

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  4. Interesting tale. I liked how you made Kohl the keynote of the story. I don't blame her for hating it the way she does.
    Dropped by from the AtoZ group. Have read a few of your other posts too this month, but couldn't comment from my mobile phone because of net issues. Glad to finally connect with you. Do stop by at my blog too sometime. Keep blogging! :)
    A to Z Participant
    miss_teerious

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  5. I love how you write, Soumya. This one was gripping and intense. Nicely done.
    *Shantala @ ShanayaTales*

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  6. I could feel her pain in the way you sketched the story :( No wonder she hates Kohl!

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  7. Wow! That's interesting one and weaved beautifully.

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  8. that was nice ! I loved the way you connected kohl to a broken heart! :)

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  9. Well woven Soumya. One could feel her pain.

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  10. Oh! Feel sad for her! Beautifully penned story, Soumya!

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  11. I'm not one for sad tales but that was wonderfully written Soumya. Sounded beautiful.

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  12. Unrequited love! Such a heartwarming story. She will be tortured everyday as Kohl lined eyes are everywhere. Poor girl.

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  13. I think many have said it already, the power in your narration! Beautiful writing.

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  14. Very interesting indeed and well written Soumya :)

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  15. Sad little story. I am not sure one can buy kohl here, we have all kinds of eye pencils and such of course. The eyes in your picture look great.

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  16. Wow!! What a beautiful tale you have woven around Kohl! I feel sorry for her :( And as for kohl is concerned, I have hated it always. It makes me look like a Chinese girl :P

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    Replies
    1. I cannot live without kohl. I look like a sick person without it :)

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  17. That was so good!! I could FEEL the girl's emotions. So sad...

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  18. Some weird emotion stirred in me as if I know this scenario happened. Deja vu

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  19. Unrequited love is always a potential subject for writing and you have done it so well. It's heart wrenching to see someone you love be in love with someone else.

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  20. I love Kohl. It is hard for me to believe someone would hate it, your story made me believe it though. Powerful :)

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