A Short Story

WIFE’S BEAUTY-CONSCIOUSNESS

The couple are below the age of forty, and they have two children. His wife is always beauty-conscious in each and every walk of life. She regularly goes to the beauty parlour for facial and hair treatments. But her husband is reluctant to go to such parlours. Moreover, he dislikes his wife’s excessive cosmetic treatments for retaining her beauty.

Sometimes, his wife says to him sarcastically,

“Hey! Man, almost all your hair has turned grey-coloured. Why can’t you dye it? Almost all men of your age are dyeing their hair and becoming fairer…” She impatiently ended her speech.

On hearing this, he said to her boldly,

“I am not always beauty-conscious as you are. I don’t care to make my hair and face beautiful with cosmetic treatments. I am quite satisfied with my natural beauty…”

He stopped his words with a light smile.

Then his wife said to him sarcastically,

“Man…! When we are walking together in the morning, some of my friends incidentally confront us on the road and ask me, looking at you, ‘Is he your father?’ Hearing this, I feel ashamed, and the complex of having to answer makes me tremble…”

Days and months passed by…! She was nearing the age of forty-five. Her evergreen glamour and smartness were gradually diminishing. Sometimes, while walking, she felt unnatural and experienced sudden giddiness.

Medical tests and MRI scanning revealed that she was suffering from symptoms of cancer. Early detection helped her greatly in her treatment. But she had to undergo treatment.

During the treatment, she felt pain and suffering. She lost the beauty of her formerly fair hair and face. Seemingly, she became pale and lean. Her husband always stood by her, consoled her, and gave her the necessary courage to survive and recover.

One day, she called her husband to her bedside and, weeping, spoke to him with rolling tears:

“Dear hus…!

I was always conscious of my beauty and cosmetic treatments. I foolishly built a thought in my mind that I could retain my beauty until my inevitable end. But time and nature have taught me a good lesson. Today, I know that human beauty is not a lifelong one.

As I was childish in my thoughts, I humiliated you, saying that you lacked beauty-consciousness. Dear… forget those words and forgive me now…”**

She softly spoke to him with a guilty conscience.

Then the husband consoled her and conveyed some sweet words:

**”Dear… don’t bear those things in mind. That was only a difference of opinion between couples. Ignore it.

We all should think about and try to cultivate one thing in our minds: nature gives us eternal beauty, which is lifelong.

Cosmetic beauty sometimes causes harm to human health…”**

He ended the talk, looking at his wife with a smile.