Make-up Mess On My Engagement Day

The day of my engagement had dawned. Draped in a dark beatroot kanjeeveram saree I felt like a beauty queen. My mother and siblings seconded my views. ‘You look gorgeous’ said my mother. (Yeah! I was nothing less than an Aishwarya Rai for my mother.) I was on cloud nine.

However, a phone call from Max after the engagement ceremony shook me up from my dreams. “What had you done on your face,” taunted Max from the other end.  ‘Your make-up was monstrous today, and did you get that dirt off your face? He inquired, with a tinge of sarcasm in his voice.

I didn’t like the way he spoke to me.  So, without wasting a minute I lashed out at him, left, right and center. I spat out as much venom as possible through the phone.

This phone call from my fiancée became a conclusive proof for me that your people are your people, after all. That is your mother and siblings. They will appreciate and applaud you, and be by your side, come what may. I must be really looking good on the day of engagement. Why would my mother and sister lie to me, after all? Of course, layers and layers of concealer and foundation were applied by the beautician to cover up all those blemishes and innumerable pimples on my face to better my looks. And I believed all that make-up made me look best among the rest.

Now in hindsight, that is after a couple of years, when I look through my engagement pics I feel, my make-up was undoubtedly loud. And while looking through Max’s eyes, it was somewhat monstrous as well.