So, there is an impending festivity in your family or close friends around the corner, and you in your busy schedule are too busy to find a way to appear your usual lovely stress-free self. You meet your family on the dining table for one of the mandatory meets of the day, which could range from breakfast, lunch or dinner and find out those ‘quick fixes’ also known as ‘desi totkas’ to look beautiful.
These ‘totkas’ range from hair care to ensuring you become the favourite ‘bahu’ of your (non existent) in laws. Let’s take a look at some of these age old ‘totkas’ which have defied the test of time.
To achieve Rapunzel locks!
Hair is an essential beauty item which is listed in the “I want” section since times immemorial. You will also come across various reasons described in detail by various aunties on different occasions as to why girls are losing out on hair these days. Those insane blow dry and shampooing rituals will be cursed repeatedly. We have all tried or have been forced to try yogurt and egg on our hair to achieve Rapunzel like locks!
To look like a peach!
There was a time when good ‘gharelo’ girls used to apply raw milk on their skin instead of running out of the gate to try the new skin treatment offered on a discount at a local trending spa. Well, it is supposed to give a peachy rosy look to our ‘murjhayee hoyee’ (read exhausted) skin.
To improve eyesight!
God forbid if you have ruined your eyesight due to excessive ‘parrhayee’! We have been advised on countless occasions to use fennel seeds to remarkably cure failing or weak eye sight. Because, no one in their right mind will want to get married to a ‘chishmish’.
To ensure a loving relationship with in laws!
Hmm, so if you have asked someone to apply mehndi and the colour has turned out to be light, this probably means your in laws (read mother in law) will be a living breathing dragon. However, if the mehndi turns out to be a rich dark colour, well, you can see yourself dancing away on the horizon of a big happy family version of a Pakistani movie. On numerous occasions we have also seen poor girls trying to get a darker shade of the said mehndi by pouring a strange concoction of sugar and lemon on their mehndi designs.
To ward off “nazar”
This one is our favourite by far! So, what do you do, when things are not going in your favour and life becomes a series of unfortunate events? Did you spill curry on your new ‘jora’? It was definitely due to an evil eye. Did you find out at the last minute that your ‘parlour wali’ has taken a day off? Did you sprout a fresh pimple on your face right before your big day? This is all due to ‘nazar’ or ‘evil eye’ and can be warded off by burning red chillies on a ‘tawa’ or on fire. Once the evil eye has been warded off, you are free to roam around the streets and well, ‘jalnay walay ka moo kala’!