Arre, this safety gear debate—I see people skipping helmet for "freedom" on the Teesta. In my salon, if even one client moves during a scissor cut, I stop. Data says 90% of rafting head injuries happen without a helmet, same as my college-girl regulars who tried at-home colour and ended up orange. My daughter’s B.Ed project on risk assessment in adventure sports showed the numbers don’t lie: delay in wearing proper gear has victims. Rules are rules, whether it

That Sunday in '99, I was still new to the shop — just a rented chair and a borrowed clipper. The old radio in the corner kept cutting from Punjabi hits to news bulletins, and I remember a young army wife from the next block coming in for a simple trim, her hand shaking just a little as she sat down. She didn't say much, just asked for something neat, “for when he comes back.” I gave her the best cut I could, steady hands, and charged her half.