|Chapter Fifteen|

"The contestants may now head over to the styling section and inspect their hair-models who will be given a hairdo," the hostess speaks, gesturing at the aisle that leads to the larger room.

Glancing back at Veer and Yash, she passes them a quick smile before heading out of the common area with all the other contestants.

Aisha's missing Payal and Vivek's presence though. They both decided to attend the classes today while Veer and Yash accompany her. The four of them being absent together would definitely arise suspicion amid the teaching faculty so they had concluded with this plan.

Entering the styling section, Aisha's directed over to her hair-model, a brunette with shoulder length, wavy hair. Passing her a courteous smile, Aisha stands behind her and inspects her hair silently, weighing the density and length mentally.

Five minutes later, the hostess shows up. "Time's up!" she tells the contestants. "You all may now head over to the common area and think about the most suitable hairstyle for your model. Every contestant is being granted fifteen minute duration for this after which you will have to present yourselves before the judges and declare the hairstyle which you shall be attempting," she tells them all.

Nodding, Aisha excuses herself from the Priya, her model, and heads back to the common area where Veer is still seated in his place; Yash is nowhere at sight.

"What's up?" Veer asks her when she settles on the seat beside him.

"A gradual lob," Aisha mumbles, her eyes lighting up.

"What?" Veer blinks at her confusedly.

"I know what I'm gonna do with her hair!" Aisha grins at the brown-eyed boy. "The haircut with a gradual lob, you know."

"Speak English, please," Veer says all clueless.

"Basically a haircut with the tresses longer on the front and shorter on the back," Aisha explains to him. "The locks at the front need to be snipped with pointer-cutting just perfectly so that they graze the shoulders- It's all going over your head, isn't it?" she asks him with narrowed eyes.

"It's all going over my head," Veer repeats with a sheepish look.

"Not your fault," Aisha waves off. Turning back to look around her, she spots people gathered in groups everywhere. With only twenty contenders and their supporters in here, the place is relatively scanty and casual.

Aisha furrows her brows when she spots a girl standing at a secluded corner, wringing her hands worriedly and a look of apprehension dawning over her features. She's one of the contestants and has got blue streaks of highlight adorning her waist-length, charcoal black tresses and her bronze skin enhances the look on her.

"I'll be back in a minute," Aisha tells Veer before getting out of her seat and approaching the girl with the highlights.

"Hey," Aisha smiles wide at the girl once she reaches her. "I'm Aisha Medhi."

"Shweta Pathak," the girl introduces herself with a small smile.

"You seem pretty pale, Shweta," Aisha points concernedly. "Are you alright?"

"It's just that my hair-model has got waist-length hair with minor split-ends which means no hairstyles would come off neat no matter how well I try," Shweta explains dejectedly. "I'm just gonna screw this up."

"Oh," Aisha mumbles, racking her brain unconsciously for a solution. "You said she has minor split-ends, right?" she asks to which Shweta nods a yes.

"Then snip them off with pointer-cutting," Aisha throws in a solution with a smile. "Then brush up the hair once and it'll be perfect for any hairstyle!"

"You sure that it'll work?" Shweta asks doubtingly.

"I'm not being sure," Aisha smiles at her. "I'm affirmative."

"Okay, contestants, time's up!" the hostess's voice booms through the place, turning every head towards her. "You may head to the styling section and grab whatever clips, scissors and brushes you may need and be back to your hair-models after announcing the hairstyle you've decided upon to the judges. You have two hours to finish up!" she adds excitedly.

"Good luck!" Aisha throws over her shoulder to Shweta before heading off to the styling section after waving a quick goodbye at Veer.

Dodging contestants swiftly, Aisha manoeuvres through the narrow aisles, grabbing the brushes and scissors which she'd be needing.

"Where are the roller-brushes?" Aisha mutters to herself, scanning the racks confusedly. Her eyes light up when she spots a roller brush on a rack and reaches out for it but, as she does so, someone beats her to it, snatching the brush before her.

Whipping her head up, Aisha clenches her jaw at the sight of those strawberry-blonde tresses.

"Be quick, Medhi," Tarika smirks before brushing past Aisha roughly, walking out of the aisles with a smug smirk.

Sighing, Aisha resumes to looking for the hairbrushes when a voice catches her attention. "Hey, Aisha!"

Snapping her head up, she spots Jayden at the far end of the aisle, waving at her. "Catch it," he tells her and throws something her way. Springing into action, Aisha hurriedly grasps the item and smiles when she recognizes it to be a roller-brush, better than the one which Tarika swept away.

Looking up, she tries to spot those honey-brown eyes of Jayden but he's nowhere now. Internally thanking the boy, Aisha heads out of the aisles and takes her spot beside Tarika who finished with collecting her required equipment before her.

"Let's begin serially then," Uma, one of the judges spoke as they three face the contestants. "Starting from the first one who finished with their collection, Kaustav."

The boy, Kaustav, speaks up, "I'll be trying a Korean-cut with side-bangs."

"Okay," Peter, the second judge mumbles in acknowledgement as they move on to the next constant. Three more contenders later, the judges come to address Tarika.

"A gradual lob," Tarika announces with ceaseless determination, causing Aisha to glance at the blonde-headed girl with furrowed brows and a baffled look crossing her features.

"What about you, Miss Medhi?"

Turning to Peter, Aisha wonders about this sudden surprise. She doesn't even have the time to think about a different cut which would suit Priya's hair. "A gradual lob," she mutters, causing a lot of reactions to emanate all at once.

"I see coincidences again," Tarika mumbles, a smirk latching itself over her lips as she eyes a very annoyed Aisha.

"Okay," Peter nods and registers the hairstyle in the notepad nevertheless and moves on to the next contestant, leaving Aisha to ponder over this strange series of concurrences.

"Be a bit original, Medhi."

"Shut it, Tarika," Aisha snaps at the blonde who only rolls her eyes before turning away.

I'm gonna show her what perfection is, Aisha affirms internally before throwing a determinate glance at Veer sitting amid the audience as she marches off to the styling area, to Priya.

___________

Author's Note:

Coincidences can be a real pain sometimes, can't they?

Personally, I created Tarika's character not as an obnoxious teenager HBIC but a very competitive soul who doesn't like to watch others surpass her in anything. Otherwise it all gets really cliché a lot of the time, yk. The villain girl hating the protagonist girl because of jealousy/enemity/past grudges/etc.

Anygays, a Happy New Year people!

Keep smiling and stay healthy!!
*muah*