Nobody is perfect. Being beautiful with light skin tone or fairness isn't perfect. Using filters to make yourself isn't being beautiful. It just makes you feel that there is a better version of you but the truth is that you are already beautiful. So remove the filter on your phone and as while as the one inside your mind that separates you from the real beauty.
I didn't release that there was this wall that separated me from my real self. Not until I met Yethro Lhazin Zangmo, a senior in college. I crossed path with her every morning on my way to school. She was always standing by the bus stop. She was a real beauty but why was she bald?
According to my neighbour, who attended same college, Yethro was prefect in studies as well as in terms of beauty. I asked her why Yethro was bald? She didn't know the answer. That only made me so curious.
Was she a nun? Was Yethro sick? Did she had cancer? That send goosebumps to my entire body. I felt sympathy for the girl. I observed her the following days. She was a really bubbly person who seemed so carefree. A person with no worries about what others think about her. She smile could easily brighten anyone's day and her skin glowed under the sun like a sunflower.
After 3 whole months of observations, I finally decided to approach her. That day, she was still standing by the bus stop looking ever so cheerful. I took a big breathe in and out then made my way towards her.
I was barely 2 metres away from her when she looked my way. Our eyes met and she gave me a smile. I was so shocked I looked behind me to see if someone she knew was coming behind me. But to my amusement there was no one. "Don't worry. I know what you want to ask me." She spoke out to me. Did I really make it that obvious? Enough for her to find out without having me say a word.
She called me to come closer. I obeyed to her request and stood next to her. "So you might be thinking 'Why is this girl bald?' right?" I was embarrassed for being so foolish, so I remained silent out of guilt. "Its okay. Don't feel bad. I'm used to all these things." She said those things as if it was nothing.
"I don't feel bad about it at all." She smiled at me when she said that. "Why?" Was all I could ask. "Because it was my choice to live like this." 'Her choice? Cancer isn't a choice, it's a burden to everyone.' I wanted to ask how 'cancer' was a choice but she interrupted me. "I really had long and beautiful hair. Something everyone praised me for most and also for my fair skin. It would be a lie if I say that it didn't feel great because it did. But I never thought that being great in others eyes makes them feel low about themselves."
That last line left a awkward silent between us. I could see that she had emerged herself into the flashback. Not withstanding the silence and my curiosity to know what happened next, I fake coughed. She came back down to earth, and giggled at her little Alice in Wonderland moment.
"Then once when we were visiting Japan for some exchange program, we came upon this group of children who had recovered cancer. As soon as they saw us, the first thing they did was feel our hair. A girl, who was barely 7, came up to me and asked what it was like to have beautiful hair to style everyday. I couldn't answer it.
The child was so pretty. So that evening when I went to a salon and shaved my head. I asked the salon person to pack the hair and give it to me. I gave it to my guide and asked him to donate it to a place where they make wig. After 2 weeks, a parcel came and inside it was my hair, now a wig. I have the wig to the little girl and she seemed to be so happy."
"I did regret shaving my head later after we arrived back in Bhutan because women here don't shave unlike in foreign countries. I had to wear a hat to hide my bare head. A month later, we had a beauty competition where anyone, be it gentlemen or ladies can take part. They had to showcase themselves in front of others. It focused on ones belief and confidence in one self." She looked at me with a look that asked 'You know what I did?' I shrugged.
"I too participated in it. I was nervous at first because everyone was looking so great with their fashionable dress and hairdo. Meanwhile I had worn this white get up. A white tee, pant and shoe and wore a white hat. I requested the MC to put my name in the bottom of the list. He agreed since he was a friend of mine. After a long chain of amazing and great beauties with motivational speech, my name was called on stage. I got up on the initial point of the runway and looked at the crowd. I removed my cap and held it in my hand. The crowd broke into chaos. I threw away the bag of shame that hide my real self within." I was really awed at her brave step.
" I put my hand on my hips and start to walk slowly on the runway with my head hung low. Midway through the walk, I heard someone call my name. I looked up to who it was but I couldn't recognise the person because of the light that were flashing infront of that person. The light was dimmed and I was surprised to see the pretty 7 year old girl with gorgeous jet black hair. 'Yetro you are so beautiful' she shouted to me. I felt my heart swell with happiness."
"That was the day I put down my walls and explored that filters are just mask. Mask that cover your real identity." As soon as she had finished her story, the bus arrived. "Jarim (beautiful) Yetro good morning." The passengers called out to her.
The doors opened and she got in. She looked back and gave me a smile that I would never forget. Why you ask? Because it had a lesson behind it. But thats another story.
