Page 47 of TJ Powar Has Something to Prove

“How are you, putt?” Rupi auntie tugs her down to sit nextto her. Her floral perfume is nearly overwhelming. “Your mom told us you went to a debate tournament this weekend.”

“She was in the top twenty in the province,” her mom brags. TJ filled in her parents this morning on how the trip went. Of course, her two big screwups of the weekend never came up. “It’s very hard to achieve.”

Theyoohandaah, and TJ’s mom smiles proudly. TJ spends the next couple of minutes fielding questions about debate, soccer, her grades, and then they finally move on to some scandal involving someone’s wedding getting cancelled. TJ relaxes. Well, that wasn’t so bad.

She starts to rise from her seat, planning to excuse herself, when one of the aunties laughs and says, “Hopefully TJ won’t do such a thing at her own wedding!” They’re still talking about the couple who cancelled their wedding last minute.

“Ha ha,” TJ says weakly. If that’s their idea of a juicy scandal, their brains would probably explode knowing what TJ gets up to.

“Find a nice Jatt boy to settle down with, putt,” Rupi auntie advises, taking TJ’s chin in a viselike grip. “Then separations like this won’t happen. Too many differences destroy a marriage.”

“Jatt? None of that caste nonsense here,” TJ’s mom says sharply. “She can marry whoever she likes.” TJ smiles. Her mom coming to her defense for once is nice. Although, her brain would probably still explode if she knew what TJ got up to.

One of the aunties tuts. “Yes, yes, we knowyouhad a love marriage, but it’s so much harder to attract a good matchthat way.” She scrutinizes TJ. “Your nose is so long. But to be expected, your papa has it, too. Tarleen’s daughter has such a lovely nose.”

Great. The newest comparison between her and Simran is the length of theirnoses. TJ bites the inside of her cheek hard.

Then Rupi auntie says, “Oh, but, putt, you have such big beautiful eyes! You just need to get threading done and you’ll be gorgeous.” She says it so casually TJ’s sure she doesn’t realize what a backhanded compliment that is. “I used to be like you. So hairy.” Everyone in the room laughs. “But don’t worry, it’s just an awkward stage. I can’t believe you haven’t started removing it yet!”

“But she has,” TJ’s mom says, and leans forward to examine TJ’s face. “TJ, I reminded you about this a few weeks ago, too. Did you forget to make an appointment?”

TJ can’t speak. She’s too busy sinking into the floor.

“You can get a full facial removal for a very good price where I go,” another auntie suggests. “I’ll give you their number.”

“Yes, go, get rid of that pesky hair.” Rupi auntie gestures to her chin, nodding at TJ. “It makes your skin look brighter and your face cleaner.”

“And you won’t have a bigger moustache than your husband on your wedding day,” cracks another, eliciting laughter.

TJ just stands there numbly as they chortle. She knows they’re not trying to humiliate her. In fact, they think they’re being helpful. Just giving beauty tips to a friend’s daughter.

She mumbles something about homework and excuses herself back upstairs, despite her mom’s dagger eyes. If she stays in thisroom for a second longer, she might have a literal breakdown. That would sure give the aunties something to talk about.

The magazine she was reading earlier is still on her bed, left open to the same page. TJ closes it. On the back cover is an ad for women’s razors with the captionFree your legs. Wow. There really is no escape.

She picks it up. A brunette woman sits in a pristine tub, shaving an already completely smooth leg. Would it kill them to show some hair? Wouldn’t that show the razor worked?

She hurls the magazine into the wastebasket near the door. Then she pulls out her phone, bringing up Lulu’s contact number again. Lulu usually manages to squeeze her in last minute. TJ could easily go to the salon tomorrow after school.

She lets herself fantasize about it for a minute. She’d start with the full facial for her first appointment. It’d set her pores on fire, and set her back thirty bucks. But on Tuesday she’d walk into school with that bright, clean face Rupi auntie was talking about. People would talk to her normally again. She would be admired, turn heads for all the right reasons. Liam would wish he’d never broken up with her.

Then TJ would go in the next day for her arms and legs. She’d buy some home wax for her underarms. She’d start saving to splurge on laser treatments. Slowly, methodically, she would fix everything. She would retake her place as one of the prettiest girls in school. She’d tell herself that all her time and money spent on hair removal was just personal preference. That would be so easy.

Except deep down she’d always know that it wasn’t true.That her real, hairy Indian body, the one she was born with, is considered unacceptable. So unacceptable that even in ads for hair removal, showing actual hair is a no-no.

And there’s nothingfreeingabout that.

A familiar anger boils up in her. She paces over to her debate bag and finds her old cue card:This House Believes That TJ Powar can be her hairy self and still be beautiful.

She scoffs re-reading the naive words. She wantedso badlyfor her natural self to be seen as beautiful. But it’s time to face the facts. The hair covering her body is never going to get anyone going. Least of all her.

But that doesn’t mean she has to give up on the debate. She lost this round, sure. But who says she can’t win the next?

She picks up a pen. Scratches out her old words and carefully writes something new beneath. A resolution that feels like something she can actually argue for.

This House Believes That TJ Powar can exist as a hairy girl and still be worthy of respect, beautiful or not.

THIRTEEN