Pass And Aggregate: Chapter 9: Un-Fair Beauty

Chapter 9: Un-fair Beauty

“Quiet! Why on earth are you so restless Adithya, don’t irk your younger sister every time?” my mother said while I was irritating my sister. I observed that Akshyaa did not enjoy that I was being so severely shouted at. Usually for her it is the best time of the day, she got immense joy in it. Something was wrong with her; I kept on guessing what could be the reason. “Has she flunked? That is next to impossible, or some kind of pressure at the hostel, not possible she was already in second year. Then love??? May be. What was it???”

Late at night when she was studying rather I should say she pretended to be studying, I sat near the study table and said “You know, Akshyaa I broke off with Shruti or I should say Shruti ditched me”.

“What! You never told me.” She said.

“Why should I, when you don’t tell me what is going in your life why should I tell you.”I said.

“You won’t be able to understand my turmoil” she said in irritated and disgusted tone.

“Why I am mentally sane and sound, nothing but your ego prevents me to listen to your problem, common we are best friends, and you can trust me.” I assured her. Looking at her body language I assumed that she was not going tell me what bothers her so much, but to my surprise she said “You are fair Adi, how on earth would you know the feelings of a dark girl, how would you know the way it feels when people make fun of you because of the color of your skin, tell me.”

I was dumbstruck, never a thought like that has crossed my mind. I was the fairest one in my house, my complexion was like my mother a bit fairer I guess, Akshyaa’s Complexion was more like dad, she was though slightly dark but her features were sharp and stunning, to me she was the most beautiful person, I never in my life had contemplated about someone on the basis of color but some one did, and that to my sister.

“Who told you all this nonsense and crap? Tell me I will break the head of that bas***d or b***h or whatever that person is.”

“That will not change the reality, I should accept this fact and I will live with it now onwards” she said remorsefully.

Believe me if you can, but to me the whole sentenced pinched, I don’t know the level of her suffering but her eyes which were always lightened up now appeared dead. Someone has hurt her so much that now she doubted herself.

Regaining my composure and picking up the silly fairness cream from table, I said “Do you know Akshyaa, that even Lord Ram was dark and so was Lord Krishna, so why are you becoming obsessed with the fair complexion, beauty is not about the color it is about your nature, you are good looking if you are a good human.”

“If that is so, why did Harsh said so, that I am the ugliest girl he has ever seen” she said in an agitated manner.

I realized the whole matter at once. Harsh was her classmate and she had a liking for him, I don’t know what exactly transpired between them that Harsh hurt her so much. I calmly said “Because he is an ugly creature, and he will perceive the whole world to be like him, ugly. No one has a right to tell you that, you should have punched him then and there. It does not matter how others judge you as but what matters is the way you look at yourself. To me you are most beautiful person, if you took his words to be true and bought this cream why don’t you trust your brother and throw this away, you don’t require it.”

“Adi, I am so much hurt, why did God made me dark, why I am not fair like others” she was on the verge of crying.

“If you cry for someone who does not deserve your affection, you waste your time. Did you ever thank God, for making you exceptionally intelligent, did you accuse him when you got admission in IIT, so why are you accusing him now? You should be thankful to God for the way he has made you, there are others who are not as lucky as you but still they trust Him. There is a beautiful quote and that says ‘Beauties in vain, their eyes enroll charm strike the sight but merit wins the soul’.

May be she was listening to me, may be the words I spoke fell on her ears or they just floated away, I still don’t know. She kept quiet, thinking something.

We in India are obsessed with fair color; I don’t know why we have made a color superior than other colors. No painting looks good if a single color is used so why do we expect that the world created by almighty should have only one color. I pity those who judge a person on his or her looks, believe me there are better parameters, to me such kind of people are shallow. The pressure is equally created by the media which insists that only good looking, fair complexioned people are successful, but it is one of the biggest lie propagated by the media moguls. We are dumb to accept such claims; I totally support those groups which want to ban such advertisements, and let us all boycott those stars, who for few rupees get into such dirty endorsements. There is nothing fair or lovely about such cosmetics. 

Akshyaa sat there till time unknown, the next morning I realized all was fine with her. I saw that cream lying in the dustbin and there she was standing in her enigmatic aura, as lovely as ever.